Scientists Find Footprints in England That Are 800,000 Years Old

The oldest discovered outside of Africa.

Photo Removed
Complex Original

Blank pixel used during image takedowns

Photo Removed

The footprints of a smaller-brained human were found in the United Kingdom, and no, they weren't Justin Beiber's.

The footprints are the oldest to be discovered outside of Africa, and belong to a human ancestor known as Homo Antecessor, also known as Pioneer Man, dating back roughly 800,000 years ago. Scientists found the prints in a beachside sediment bed in England, and they say the prints belong to five early humans, made up of men, women, and children. A storm helped erode nearby sediment to reveal the prints, which scientists quickly photographed. 

Previously discovered footprints were found in Lake Tanzania, and are dated back 3.7 million years ago.

If you're in England and want to see the prints, you're out of luck: they've already been washed away. 

[viaLA Times]

Latest in Pop Culture