Archeology South Africa

A pair of ancient footprints, the oldest ever found of an anatomically modern human, will be removed from a national park and placed in a museum, South African officials said Tuesday. The celebrated footprints, believed to be 117,000 years old, have been so popular with curious tourists that scientists petitioned to have them taken away before they are destroyed.

South African scientists revealed details Wednesday about a pair of fossils, including the most complete ape-man skull excavated, which they hope will shed light on humankind's distant origins. The pair, christened Orpheus and Eurydice after the Greek mythological lovers, are 1.5 million to 2 million years old and have been identified as Paranthropus robustus, a hominid line that became extinct about 1 million years ago.

Footprints left on the sandy shore of a South African lagoon after a violent rainstorm 117,000 years ago, and amazingly preserved, have been identified as the oldest fossilized tracks of an anatomically modern human ever found.

The earliest known complete skeleton of a human ancestor is emerging from the stubborn rock of a limestone cave in South Africa, offering an unprecedented look at the brain size, body proportions and walking abilities of early humankind, scientists announced Wednesday.

The earliest known complete skeleton of a human ancestor is emerging from the stubborn rock of a limestone cave in South Africa, offering an unprecedented look at the brain size, body proportions and walking abilities of early humankind, scientists announced Wednesday.

Scientists say they have found the earliest direct evidence for use of fire by ape-men or early humans, bone fragments that were burned as long as 1.5 million years ago. Andrew Sillen, of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and C.K.

The oldest known footprints of an anatomically modern human are in danger of destruction on the shores of a sparkling lagoon here after having been preserved by nature for 117,000 years. The sudden menace? Human feet. Lots of them. Scientists say the extraordinary pair of footprints, discovered in 1995 but revealed to the public only last year, have become so popular among barefoot beach-goers that the soft sandstone impressions may not last the South African summer.

South African scientists revealed details Wednesday about a pair of fossils, including the most complete ape-man skull excavated, which they hope will shed light on humankind's distant origins. The pair, christened Orpheus and Eurydice after the Greek mythological lovers, are 1.5 million to 2 million years old and have been identified as Paranthropus robustus, a hominid line that became extinct about 1 million years ago.

South African scientists said Friday that they have found important new evidence revealing how humanity's earliest ancestors started to walk upright. In quarry rubble at the bottom of a cave at Sterkfontein, near Johannesburg, they unearthed the oldest known set of connected pre-human foot bones. Scientists say the bones, which apparently belonged to a creature that walked sometimes on all fours like an ape and at other times on two feet like a human, are about 3.5 million years old.

A pair of ancient footprints, the oldest ever found of an anatomically modern human, will be removed from a national park and placed in a museum, South African officials said Tuesday. The celebrated footprints, believed to be 117,000 years old, have been so popular with curious tourists that scientists petitioned to have them taken away before they are destroyed.

The oldest known footprints of an anatomically modern human are in danger of destruction on the shores of a sparkling lagoon here after having been preserved by nature for 117,000 years. The sudden menace? Human feet. Lots of them. Scientists say the extraordinary pair of footprints, discovered in 1995 but revealed to the public only last year, have become so popular among barefoot beach-goers that the soft sandstone impressions may not last the South African summer.

Footprints left on the sandy shore of a South African lagoon after a violent rainstorm 117,000 years ago, and amazingly preserved, have been identified as the oldest fossilized tracks of an anatomically modern human ever found.

South African scientists said Friday that they have found important new evidence revealing how humanity's earliest ancestors started to walk upright. In quarry rubble at the bottom of a cave at Sterkfontein, near Johannesburg, they unearthed the oldest known set of connected pre-human foot bones. Scientists say the bones, which apparently belonged to a creature that walked sometimes on all fours like an ape and at other times on two feet like a human, are about 3.5 million years old.

Scientists say they have found the earliest direct evidence for use of fire by ape-men or early humans, bone fragments that were burned as long as 1.5 million years ago. Andrew Sillen, of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and C.K.