Footprint Clues in Hominid Evolution and Forensics: Lessons and Limitations

In 1978 and 1979 at Laetoli, Northern, Tanzania, Mary D. Leakey and assistants excavated the most compelling evidence for the existence of bipedalism in Pliocene (3.5 Ma) hominids. They have stimulated controversy over the extent to which the three individuals had feet and gaits that are like those of humans versus having ape-like features and gaits. A short trail of bipedal tracks discovered in 1977 at Laetoli site A are probably not those of a hominid and more closely resemble the prints of bears. One of the original researchers on the Laetoli prints claimed that she could identify individual modern humans from their footprints, partial footprints and shoe prints because each individual has distinctive foot morphology on a par with the individuality of fingerprints. Courts of law should not have allowed her unproven (and now discredited) method to be used forensically prior to thorough review by scientific peers.