Fossil tracks in South Africa may be oldest evidence yet of humans wearing footwear

Scientists looked at human-ancestor hominin tracks with signs of footwear use in southern Africa. Photo: Getty

Vishwam Sankaran
© UK Independent

Fossil tracks discovered in the Cape south coast of South Africa could likely be the oldest evidence yet of ancient human ancestors wearing footwear to tread across a vast landscape, a new study suggests.

In this coast, over the last 15 years, archaeologists have uncovered over 350 vertebrate tracks, including those made by horses and some by humans either walking or jogging barefoot as evidenced by toe impressions.