A digital reconstruction of the face of the millennia-old fossil ‘Little Foot’ offers fresh insight into early human evolution, according to a study.
The study, led by researchers at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, used advanced 3D scanning technology to digitally reconstruct the fossilised face of Little Foot.
First discovered in South Africa’s Sterkfontein Caves in 1994, Little Foot is one of the most complete skeletons of an early human, or hominin, ever found. Since then the skeleton has been much studied; however, investigation of the face has been challenging due to distortion caused by millions of years of geological processes. Researchers have found it impossible to correct these distortions using physical reconstruction methods.
Partnering with the UK’s national synchrotron science facility, Diamond Light Source, the research team used high‑resolution synchrotron scanning and advanced virtual reconstruction techniques to digitally reassemble Little Foot’s facial...