'Little Foot' scans shed new light on early humans

Scanning technology has revealed new secrets about 'Little Foot'

an early human forerunner that inhabited South Africa 3.67 million years ago

Courtesy: Science And Technology Facilities Council

Courtesy: Diamond Light Source

(SOUNDBITE) (English) RON CLARKE, PALEOANTHROPOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, SAYING: "Little Foot was a female Australopithecus, that is a kind of human ancestor that lived millions of years ago. Now, we know that 3.67 million years ago, this little female Australopithecus was in a forested area, a tropical forested area of what is now known as the state Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg in South Africa. And for some reason, she fell into the cave."

Courtesy: RJ Clarke

Little Foot’s species blended ape-like and human-like traits

and is considered a possible direct ancestor of humans