Of all the early human ancestor fossils ever found, “Lucy” may be the most famous among examples of Australopithecus, a group of ancient hominins that lived in what is now Africa more than two million years ago. But “Little Foot,” a fossil found in South Africa in the 1990s, is the most complete Australopithecus skeleton ever discovered, giving researchers the clearest picture we have of what these ancient hominins looked like.
Little Foot’s face, however, has long eluded characterization—the fossil’s skull was smashed in after an estimated 3.67 million years in the ground. But now, using computer reconstructions, scientists finally have an idea of what Little Foot’s face may have looked like. The results show that Little Foot’s skull had large eye sockets and, interestingly, resembled that of other Australopithecus fossils that were uncovered elsewhere on the African continent.
A reproduction of the fossilized skeleton of Little Foot.
Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images
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The reconstruction, which was published on Monday in Comptes Rendus Palevol, took five years, according to lead author Amélie Beaudet, a paleoanthropologist at the Laboratory Paleontology Evolution Paleoecosystems Paleoprimatology (PALEVOPRIM), a research organization in France.
“The reconstructed face of ‘Little Foot’ reveals fascinating features, such as large orbits, which differ from modern humans but resemble those of other Australopithecus species living at the same time in eastern Africa,” Beaudet says.
The reconstructions could help paleontologists better understand how Australopithecus lived and reveal new insights into how this ancient hominin evolved across Africa, Beaudet says. The study offers a “first step” in comprehending human facial evolution, she adds.
Beaudet and her team are now working to restore the rest of the skull—before they will attempt to reconstruct “Little Foot’s brain,” she says.