How old are the Laetoli footprints?

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Side view illustration of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human ancestor, shown walking upright with a hairy body and ape-like facial features. A scale beside the figure marks 12 inches and 40 centimeters. — Australopithecus Artist's rendering of *Australopithecus afarensis*, which lived from 3.8 to 2.9 million years ago.

The Laetoli footprints are found in volcanic sediments that have been dated to approximately 3.56 million years ago. These tracks, which provide significant evidence for the study of human evolution, were presumably made by Australopithecus afarensis, a hominin species whose fossils have also been discovered at the site.1