Scientists in Morocco stumbled upon two trails of 90,000-year-old ancient human footprints which remained preserved on a beach and are likely to be one of the largest and best-preserved trackways ever found in the world.

According to a study which was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers had discovered the footprint site close to North Africa's northern tip in 2022.&nbsp;

"Between tides, I said to my team that we should go north to explore another beach," said study lead author Mouncef Sedrati, who was also an associate professor of coastal dynamics and geomorphology at the University of Southern Brittany in France, while speaking to Live Science.&nbsp;

"We were surprised to find the first print. At first, we weren't convinced it was a footprint, but then we found more of the trackway," he added.

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The site's analysis, which is the only human trackway site of its kind to have been discovered in North Africa and the Southern Mediterranean, revealed two different trails which contained a total of 85 human footprints which appeared to have been stamped on the beach by a group of at least five early modern humans.

Optically stimulated luminescence dating, which is a technique which helps in determining when some specific artefact or minerals were last time exposed to sunlight or heat, was used by the team.

Based on the age of the fine grains of quartz which were present in bulk on the sand of the gently sloped beach, the researchers figured that a multigenerational group of Homo Sapiens&nbsp;walked on the beach around 90,000 years ago and created the pathways.&nbsp;

<h2>Footprints to have been pressed on beach in Late Pleistocene</h2>

As per the study, the event occurred during the Late Pleistocene, which was also called the last ice age and ended around 11,700 years ago.

"We took measurements on-site to determine the length and depth of the prints," Sedrati said.

"Based on the foot pressure and size of the footprints, we were able to determine the approximate age of the individuals, which included children, adolescents and adults," the author added.&nbsp;

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The researchers credit the excellent preservation of the ancient impressions to a number of factors, including the beach's layout and the long reach of the tides for "the final preservation of the footprints," according to the study.

"The exceptional thing is the position of the beach on a rocky platform that is covered in clay sediments," Sedrati said. "These sediments create good conditions to preserve the tracks on the sandbar while the tides rapidly buried the beach. That's why the footprints are so well preserved here," he added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Scientists in Morocco stumbled upon two trails of 90,000-year-old ancient human footprints which remained preserved on a beach and are likely to be one of the largest and best-preserved trackways ever found in the world.

Scientists in Morocco stumbled upon two trails of 90,000-year-old ancient human footprints which remained preserved on a beach and are likely to be one of the largest and best-preserved trackways ever found in the world. According to a study which was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers had discovered the footprint site close to North Africa's northern tip in 2022. "Between tides, I said to my team that we should go north to explore another beach," said study lead author Mouncef Sedrati, who was also an associate professor of coastal dynamics and geomorphology at the University of Southern Brittany in France, while speaking to Live Science. "We were surprised to find the first print. At first, we weren't convinced it was a footprint, but then we found more of the trackway," he added. Also read: Scientists find a 'unique' way to keep spacecraft safer than they ever were The site's analysis, which is the only human trackway site of its kind to have been discovered in North Africa and the Southern Mediterranean, revealed two different trails which contained a total of 85 human footprints which appeared to have been stamped on the beach by a group of at least five early modern humans. Optically stimulated luminescence dating, which is a technique which helps in determining when some specific artefact or minerals were last time exposed to sunlight or heat, was used by the team. Based on the age of the fine grains of quartz which were present in bulk on the sand of the gently sloped beach, the researchers figured that a multigenerational group of Homo Sapiens walked on the beach around 90,000 years ago and created the pathways. Footprints to have been pressed on beach in Late Pleistocene As per the study, the event occurred during the Late Pleistocene, which was also called the last ice age and ended around 11,700 years ago. "We took measurements on-site to determine the length and depth of the prints," Sedrati said. "Based on the foot pressure and size of the footprints, we were able to determine the approximate age of the individuals, which included children, adolescents and adults," the author added. Watch: Scientists welcome new antibiotic that kills drug-resistant bacteria CRAB The researchers credit the excellent preservation of the ancient impressions to a number of factors, including the beach's layout and the long reach of the tides for "the final preservation of the footprints," according to the study. "The exceptional thing is the position of the beach on a rocky platform that is covered in clay sediments," Sedrati said. "These sediments create good conditions to preserve the tracks on the sandbar while the tides rapidly buried the beach. That's why the footprints are so well preserved here," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists stumble upon 90,000-year-old human footprints on Moroccan beach. Here's what it indicates

A new study has revealed that humans reached the Americas at least 7,000 years earlier than what was previously recorded.<o:p></o:p>

Experts have found human footprints dating back to 23,000 to 21,000 years old. These footprints are believed to be formed in soft sand of a shallow lake, which is a part of modern-day Alkali Flat in White Sands, New Mexico.

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"I think this is probably the biggest discovery about the peopling of America in a hundred years,"&nbsp;said Ciprian Ardelean, an archaeologist at Autonomous University of Zacatecas in Mexico who was not involved in the work. "I don’t know what gods they prayed to, but this is a dream find."<o:p></o:p>

This research has changed years-long belief about arrival of humans in the Americas. For several decades, researchers believed that humans took over the North and South America towards the end of last ice age as the tools they used — such as spear tips, needles and scrapers — were nearly 13,000 years ago.

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However, the footprints — found by the park’s resource program manager, David Bustos in 2009 — show that the humans might have arrived 23,000 years to ice age.<o:p></o:p>

The footprints have been discovered across 80,000 acres of the park.<o:p></o:p>

These new observations imply that humans arrived in the Americas during the phase when huge glaciers used to cover majority of the area. These footprints were left when humans, at that time, passed from the sandy ground of the margin of the lake. The area was covered as the land hardened but recently the prints re-emerged due to erosion.<o:p></o:p>

A new study has revealed that humans reached the Americas at least 7,000 years earlier than what was previously recorded. Experts have found human footprints dating back to 23,000 to 21,000 years old.

A new study has revealed that humans reached the Americas at least 7,000 years earlier than what was previously recorded. Experts have found human footprints dating back to 23,000 to 21,000 years old. These footprints are believed to be formed in soft sand of a shallow lake, which is a part of modern-day Alkali Flat in White Sands, New Mexico. Also read | What caused massive Arctic ozone hole in 2020? This study has some answers "I think this is probably the biggest discovery about the peopling of America in a hundred years," said Ciprian Ardelean, an archaeologist at Autonomous University of Zacatecas in Mexico who was not involved in the work. "I don’t know what gods they prayed to, but this is a dream find." This research has changed years-long belief about arrival of humans in the Americas. For several decades, researchers believed that humans took over the North and South America towards the end of last ice age as the tools they used — such as spear tips, needles and scrapers — were nearly 13,000 years ago. Also read | Health effects of wildfires: Where there’s smoke, there’s less cow milk However, the footprints — found by the park’s resource program manager, David Bustos in 2009 — show that the humans might have arrived 23,000 years to ice age. The footprints have been discovered across 80,000 acres of the park. These new observations imply that humans arrived in the Americas during the phase when huge glaciers used to cover majority of the area. These footprints were left when humans, at that time, passed from the sandy ground of the margin of the lake. The area was covered as the land hardened but recently the prints re-emerged due to erosion.

Footprints reveal humans arrived in Americas before end of Ice Age

A new study has found that about 120,000 years ago in what has now become northern Saudi Arabia, a small group of homo sapiens were present for a brief time to drink and seek food at a shallow lake.&nbsp;

The movements of these people were decoded by researchers in a study published in Science Advances on Thursday after finding ancient human and animal footprints in the Nefud Desert.&nbsp;

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It further said that this group may have hunted the large mammals but was not present there for long and likely to have used the watering hole to go for a long journey.&nbsp;

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The Arabian Peninsula that we know today has vast, arid deserts did not provide a favourable environment to early people and animals.

But studies in the last 10 years have shown that this was not always the scenario, due to natural climate variation, the place was much greener and humid.&nbsp;

"At certain times in the past, the deserts that dominate the interior of the peninsula transformed into expansive grasslands with permanent freshwater lakes and rivers," said study co-author Richard Clark-Wilson of Royal Holloway, as quoted by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Mathew Stewart, of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany, the paper's first author, said the footprints were found on this PhD fieldwork in 2017 after the erosion of overlying sediments at an ancient lake known as 'Alathar' ("the truce" in Arabic).&nbsp;

"Footprints are a unique form of fossil evidence in that they provide snapshots in time, typically representing a few hours or days, a resolution we tend not to get from other records," he added.&nbsp;

A new study has found that about 120,000 years ago in what has now become northern Saudi Arabia, a small group of homo sapiens were present for a brief time to drink and seek food at a shallow lake.

A new study has found that about 120,000 years ago in what has now become northern Saudi Arabia, a small group of homo sapiens were present for a brief time to drink and seek food at a shallow lake. The movements of these people were decoded by researchers in a study published in Science Advances on Thursday after finding ancient human and animal footprints in the Nefud Desert. Also read | Another mass extinction led to rise in number of dinosaurs: Study It further said that this group may have hunted the large mammals but was not present there for long and likely to have used the watering hole to go for a long journey. Also read | Fossil footprints reveal existence of dinosaurs in South Africa 183 million years ago The Arabian Peninsula that we know today has vast, arid deserts did not provide a favourable environment to early people and animals. But studies in the last 10 years have shown that this was not always the scenario, due to natural climate variation, the place was much greener and humid. "At certain times in the past, the deserts that dominate the interior of the peninsula transformed into expansive grasslands with permanent freshwater lakes and rivers," said study co-author Richard Clark-Wilson of Royal Holloway, as quoted by news agency AFP. Mathew Stewart, of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany, the paper's first author, said the footprints were found on this PhD fieldwork in 2017 after the erosion of overlying sediments at an ancient lake known as 'Alathar' ("the truce" in Arabic). "Footprints are a unique form of fossil evidence in that they provide snapshots in time, typically representing a few hours or days, a resolution we tend not to get from other records," he added.

Human footprints 120,000-years-old found in Saudi Arabia

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