Overheard two grad students arguing about the new dating for the Laetoli footprints

They were going back and forth about whether the 3.66 million year old date from the last study holds up. One said the new soil analysis from Tanzania points to a much wetter climate back then, which could change how we see early human movement. It made me think how much we still don't know from sites we found decades ago. Has anyone else read the full paper on the updated environmental context?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaronclark13d ago

That "how much we still don't know" part really hits home.

seanlee13d ago

Yeah @aaronclark, it's wild how that feeling pops up everywhere.

aaron8844d ago

Nah, I get the opposite feeling. The more we learn, the more clear the path forward gets. It's not about what we don't know, it's about using what we do know. Seanlee mentioned that feeling pops up everywhere, but I just don't see it that way. Feels more like we're finally getting a grip on things. The unknown shrinks every day with solid work.

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