From: mk_thisisit
A revolutionary discovery of the oldest known pre-human traces in Crete, Europe, is challenging established theories about the origins of humanity [00:00:54]. The findings suggest that the beginning of humanity may date back 6.02 million years, with human evolution beginning with the legs [00:00:15].
The Discovery in Crete
Dr. Gerard Gelinski from the State Geological Institute discovered what he recognized as human tracks in Crete [00:00:00]. He initially came across these traces in 2002 and again in 2004 during vacations, but was unable to identify them at first, despite his expertise in dinosaur traces [00:01:40]. It was not until 2008, when he observed a tourist walking on the beach, that he realized the mysterious traces were human-like [00:03:15]. The initial geological maps indicated the traces were from the end of the Miocene, about 5 million years old [00:03:45]. However, more precise research conducted years later, published in 2017, dated them at 6.02 million years old [00:04:03]. The verification process for publication took many years due to the sensational nature of the discovery and the need for skeptical peer review [00:04:33].
The site in Trachilos, Crete, where the traces were found, is considered one of the most important paleontological sites in the world [00:30:14]. The tracks are preserved in solidified sand, or sandstone, which allows them to be preserved for millions of years [00:02:08]. There are about 60 tracks and a dozen trails of tracks, with at least two trails running parallel, suggesting individuals walking together [00:25:39]. Other sites on Crete, including areas under the Mediterranean Sea, also contain further traces [00:31:02].
Dating Methods
The accurate age of the traces (6.02 million years) was determined using multiple dating methods [00:22:28]:
- Absolute Age: Based on the decay of radioactive elements found in volcanic material in the area [00:20:31].
- Correlation of Ocean Walls: Involves correlating regressive and transgressive sequences of sediments [00:21:13].
- Magnetostatic Sediment: Utilizes changes in the Earth’s magnetic poles throughout geological history [00:21:32].
- Speciation of Microfossils: Examines tiny marine plankton fossils called foraminifera, which undergo rapid speciation, allowing for linking sediments with dated ones elsewhere [00:21:55].
Challenging the “Out of Africa” Theory
The discovery significantly impacts the prevailing “Out of Africa” theory, which posits that humans originated solely in Africa [00:06:08]. The Cretan tracks suggest that human evolution and bipedalism may have begun in Europe [00:15:03].
The Role of the Foot in Evolution
It is generally assumed that the complex structure of the human foot, with its adducted thumb (big toe aligned with other toes), evolved only once [00:06:16]. This adaptation is thought to result from ancestral apes coming down from trees and no longer needing a prehensile (grasping) foot for arboreal movement [00:07:05]. Instead, it adapted for walking upright in open spaces like the savannah, which became prevalent after rainforests receded [00:07:18]. This shift of the first finger (big toe) is considered the beginning of human evolution, even before brain size increase [00:07:40]. The brain, in this context, is seen as a side effect of bipedalism [00:08:19].
Convergent Evolution and the Two Birthplaces Hypothesis
The Cretan tracks open up the possibility of human evolution occurring twice, through a phenomenon called convergence [00:09:01]. This means that an identical adaptation of the foot could have occurred independently in different groups [00:09:01]:
- Once in Europe, about 6 million years ago [00:09:13].
- A second time in Africa, about 3.5 million years ago [00:09:17].
The main argument against this convergence scenario comes from the genetic clock of human lice [00:10:04]. The three species of human lice (head, body, pubic) are thought to have separated over 3 million years ago, coinciding with the descent from trees, migration to savannahs, and loss of body hair by our ancestors [00:10:33]. This genetic evidence has traditionally indicated that descent from trees couldn’t have occurred earlier than 3.2 million years ago [00:11:11]. However, the discovery of older bipedal tracks, such as those of Australopithecus from Laetoli, Tanzania (older than the lice separation), contradicts this genetic clock [00:11:24].
The Messina Crisis
The geological event known as the Messina Crisis, occurring in the Mediterranean basin, played a significant role in potentially driving human evolution in Europe [00:15:12]. During this period, the Mediterranean Sea almost dried up, leading to a rapid drying of the climate and the transformation of forests into steppe or park forests [00:15:21]. This environmental change forced many animal species to adapt, migrate, or face extinction [00:15:39]. This crisis occurred approximately 3 million years earlier than similar environmental changes in East Africa [00:15:51]. Gelinski asserts that this primitive human could not have crossed the Mediterranean from Africa due to the impassable salty desert environment that formed during the drying event [00:16:21].
The Creatures and Their Environment
The tracks in Crete resemble reduced human tracks, similar to a child’s [00:00:24]. The footprints measure approximately 10 to 14 centimeters [00:13:54]. Based on comparisons with early hominins like Australopithecus and Sahelanthropus, the creatures who left these tracks were likely about a meter tall [00:14:06]. Professor Bau from a German university suggests that the perpetrator of these tracks was Graecopithecus, whose remains have been found in Bulgaria and Greece, and is considered by her team to be the oldest hominin on Earth from which the human evolutionary line originates [00:14:28].
The environment in Crete during the Miocene was a coastal savannah, similar to modern African savannahs, inhabited by animals like elephants, hyenas, and buffaloes [00:17:36]. Although the Mediterranean Sea was drying up, the specific location of the tracks was a beach area with a retreating sea [00:18:32].
Regarding their lifestyle and diet, it is speculated that these early hominins, like later Homo erectus, stuck to coastal areas, searching for easily available, high-energy food like fruits or scavenged marine life such as clams, snails, or crabs [00:19:00]. This adaptation to a new, more challenging environment involved a drastic change in behavior and diet, moving from a likely vegetarian diet to potentially hunting or stealing meat from large savanna predators [00:33:32].
Significance of Footprints
Footprints provide clear evidence of bipedalism and adaptation to walking on land [00:24:16]. Unlike teeth or isolated bones, which can lead to debate among scientists regarding whether a creature was a hominin or not [00:23:44], tracks explicitly demonstrate the structure of the foot and its adaptation, particularly the lack of a grasping thumb [00:24:28]. The Cretan tracks show human-like toes but a simian (ape-like) heel, resembling the feet of human babies [00:24:50].
The persistence of footprints in the fossil record is a paradox: while individual skeletons are rarely preserved due to oxygenated burial environments, billions of footprints are left by living organisms [00:28:01]. Tracks can be preserved when wet sand or clay containing them is quickly covered by another layer of sediment, protecting them from erosion [00:29:39].
Implications for Modern Humanity
The discovery sheds light on the origins of modern human traits, suggesting that our inherent need to dominate the world and our invasive nature find their source millions of years ago [00:34:03]. Humans have been attempting to conquer new environments and taking risks for millions of years, driven by the belief in their intelligence to conquer the entire Earth [00:34:23].# Impact on the Theory of Human Evolution
A revolutionary discovery of the oldest known pre-human traces in Crete, Europe, is challenging established theories about the origins of humanity [00:00:54]. The findings suggest that the beginning of humanity may date back 6.02 million years, with human evolution beginning with the legs [00:00:15].
The Discovery in Crete
Dr. Gerard Gelinski from the State Geological Institute discovered what he recognized as human tracks in Crete [00:00:00]. He initially came across these traces in 2002 and again in 2004 during vacations, but was unable to identify them at first, despite his expertise in dinosaur traces [00:01:40]. It was not until 2008, when he observed a tourist walking on the beach, that he realized the mysterious traces were human-like [00:03:15]. The initial geological maps indicated the traces were from the end of the Miocene, about 5 million years old [00:03:45]. However, more precise research conducted years later, published in 2017, dated them at 6.02 million years old [00:04:03]. The verification process for publication took many years due to the sensational nature of the discovery and the need for skeptical peer review [00:04:33].
The site in Trachilos, Crete, where the traces were found, is considered one of the most important paleontological sites in the world [00:30:14]. The tracks are preserved in solidified sand, or sandstone, which allows them to be preserved for millions of years [00:02:08]. There are about 60 tracks and a dozen trails of tracks, with at least two trails running parallel, suggesting individuals walking together [00:25:39]. Other sites on Crete, including areas under the Mediterranean Sea, also contain further traces [00:31:02].
Dating Methods
The accurate age of the traces (6.02 million years) was determined using multiple dating methods [00:22:28]:
- Absolute Age: Based on the decay of radioactive elements found in volcanic material in the area [00:20:31].
- Correlation of Ocean Walls: Involves correlating regressive and transgressive sequences of sediments [00:21:13].
- Magnetostatic Sediment: Utilizes changes in the Earth’s magnetic poles throughout geological history [00:21:32].
- Speciation of Microfossils: Examines tiny marine plankton fossils called foraminifera, which undergo rapid speciation, allowing for linking sediments with dated ones elsewhere [00:21:55].
Challenging the “Out of Africa” Theory
The discovery significantly impacts the prevailing “Out of Africa” theory, which posits that humans originated solely in Africa [00:06:08]. The Cretan tracks suggest that human evolution and bipedalism may have begun in Europe [00:15:03].
The Role of the Foot in Evolution
It is generally assumed that the complex structure of the human foot, with its adducted thumb (big toe aligned with other toes), evolved only once [00:06:16]. This adaptation is thought to result from ancestral apes coming down from trees and no longer needing a prehensile (grasping) foot for arboreal movement [00:07:05]. Instead, it adapted for walking upright in open spaces like the savannah, which became prevalent after rainforests receded [00:07:18]. This shift of the first finger (big toe) is considered the beginning of human evolution, even before brain size increase [00:07:40]. The brain, in this context, is seen as a side effect of bipedalism [00:08:19].
Convergent Evolution and the Two Birthplaces Hypothesis
The Cretan tracks open up the possibility of human evolution occurring twice, through a phenomenon called convergence [00:09:01]. This means that an identical adaptation of the foot could have occurred independently in different groups [00:09:01]:
- Once in Europe, about 6 million years ago [00:09:13].
- A second time in Africa, about 3.5 million years ago [00:09:17].
The main argument against this convergence scenario comes from the genetic clock of human lice [00:10:04]. The three species of human lice (head, body, pubic) are thought to have separated over 3 million years ago, coinciding with the descent from trees, migration to savannahs, and loss of body hair by our ancestors [00:10:33]. This genetic evidence has traditionally indicated that descent from trees couldn’t have occurred earlier than 3.2 million years ago [00:11:11]. However, the discovery of older bipedal tracks, such as those of Australopithecus from Laetoli, Tanzania (older than the lice separation), contradicts this genetic clock [00:11:24].
The Messina Crisis
The geological event known as the Messina Crisis, occurring in the Mediterranean basin, played a significant role in potentially driving human evolution in Europe [00:15:12]. During this period, the Mediterranean Sea almost dried up, leading to a rapid drying of the climate and the transformation of forests into steppe or park forests [00:15:21]. This environmental change forced many animal species to adapt, migrate, or face extinction [00:15:39]. This crisis occurred approximately 3 million years earlier than similar environmental changes in East Africa [00:15:51]. Gelinski asserts that this primitive human could not have crossed the Mediterranean from Africa due to the impassable salty desert environment that formed during the drying event [00:16:21].
The Creatures and Their Environment
The tracks in Crete resemble reduced human tracks, similar to a child’s [00:00:24]. The footprints measure approximately 10 to 14 centimeters [00:13:54]. Based on comparisons with early hominins like Australopithecus and Sahelanthropus, the creatures who left these tracks were likely about a meter tall [00:14:06]. Professor Bau from a German university suggests that the perpetrator of these tracks was Graecopithecus, whose remains have been found in Bulgaria and Greece, and is considered by her team to be the oldest hominin on Earth from which the human evolutionary line originates [00:14:28].
The environment in Crete during the Miocene was a coastal savannah, similar to modern African savannahs, inhabited by animals like elephants, hyenas, and buffaloes [00:17:36]. Although the Mediterranean Sea was drying up, the specific location of the tracks was a beach area with a retreating sea [00:18:32].
Regarding their lifestyle and diet, it is speculated that these early hominins, like later Homo erectus, stuck to coastal areas, searching for easily available, high-energy food like fruits or scavenged marine life such as clams, snails, or crabs [00:19:00]. This adaptation to a new, more challenging environment involved a drastic change in behavior and diet, moving from a likely vegetarian diet to potentially hunting or stealing meat from large savanna predators [00:33:32].
Significance of Footprints
Footprints provide clear evidence of bipedalism and adaptation to walking on land [00:24:16]. Unlike teeth or isolated bones, which can lead to debate among scientists regarding whether a creature was a hominin or not [00:23:44], tracks explicitly demonstrate the structure of the foot and its adaptation, particularly the lack of a grasping thumb [00:24:28]. The Cretan tracks show human-like toes but a simian (ape-like) heel, resembling the feet of human babies [00:24:50].
The persistence of footprints in the fossil record is a paradox: while individual skeletons are rarely preserved due to oxygenated burial environments, billions of footprints are left by living organisms [00:28:01]. Tracks can be preserved when wet sand or clay containing them is quickly covered by another layer of sediment, protecting them from erosion [00:29:39].
Implications for Modern Humanity
The discovery sheds light on the origins of modern human traits, suggesting that our inherent need to dominate the world and our invasive nature find their source millions of years ago [00:34:03]. Humans have been attempting to conquer new environments and taking risks for millions of years, driven by the belief in their intelligence to conquer the entire Earth [00:34:23].