'Little Foot' scan reveals her secrets

[Still Waters 53,758]

Sophisticated scanning technology is revealing intriguing secrets about Little Foot, the remarkable fossil of an early human forerunner that inhabited South Africa 3.67 million years ago during a critical juncture in our evolutionary history.

Scientists said on Tuesday they examined key parts of the nearly complete and well-preserved fossil at Diamond Light Source, Britain's national synchrotron facility. The scanning focused upon Little Foot's cranial vault — the upper part of her braincase — and her lower jaw, or mandible.

The researchers gained insight not only into the biology of Little Foot's species but also into the hardships that this individual, an adult female, encountered during her life.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/little-foot-skeleton-fossil-skull-scanning-technology-1.5933056