From: mk_thisisit
The discovery of ancient hominin tracks in Crete, dated to 6.02 million years ago, suggests that human evolution may have begun in Europe, challenging the long-held “Out of Africa” theory and highlighting the pivotal role of bipedalism in our lineage’s development [00:00:08], [00:00:33], [00:01:07], [00:04:10].
The Crete Discovery: A Challenge to Conventional Theory
In 2002, Dr. Gerard Gelinski from the State Geological Institute observed a surface in Crete typical for preserving trace fossils [00:01:13], [00:01:44], [00:01:52]. Initially, he could not identify the tracks despite decades of experience with dinosaur traces [00:02:40], [00:02:48]. It wasn’t until 2008, when he observed a tourist walking on the sand nearby, that he realized the tracks he was studying were human-like [00:03:17], [00:03:25].
Initial geological maps suggested the tracks were about 5 million years old, from the end of the Miocene [00:03:45], [00:03:48]. However, more precise research a few years ago indicated an age of 6.02 million years [00:04:03], [00:04:10]. These tracks, found in Trachilos, Crete, are described as reduced human tracks, similar to a child’s, measuring 10-14 cm [00:00:24], [00:14:00]. They exhibit clear bipedality, indicating the creatures were adapted to walking on land [00:24:21].
The publication of this discovery in 2017 caused significant discussion [00:04:28]. The delay in publication was due to the extensive verification process, involving highly skeptical specialists with great experience and position in science [00:04:33], [00:04:41], [00:05:43].
Bipedalism as the Genesis of Humanity
The conventional view posits that human evolution began with the development of the brain [00:07:42]. However, the discovery in Crete, and the nature of early hominins, suggests a different narrative:
“It sounds strange but that’s how it is our evolution began with legs basically” [00:00:21], [00:07:58].
The key adaptive shift was the foot’s structure, specifically the adduction of the first toe to the remaining group of fingers [00:06:49], [00:07:44]. This adaptation resulted from hominins descending from trees and no longer needing a prehensile foot for grasping branches [00:07:09], [00:07:13]. Instead, they adapted to walking in open environments like the savanna, which emerged as rainforests receded [00:07:18], [00:07:28]. This adaptation of the foot marks the beginning of human evolution [00:07:38], [00:07:52].
The brain, rather than being the primary driver, is considered a “side effect of bipedalism,” or a result of adaptation to new challenges in the rapidly changing environment [00:08:19], [00:08:26]. This implies that the ability to walk upright was the fundamental change that spurred further development.
The “Twice Arisen” Hypothesis: A Case for Convergence
The discovery in Crete proposes a scenario where humanity may have arisen twice independently: once in Europe around 6 million years ago, and a second time in Africa about 3.5 million years ago [00:00:33], [00:09:08], [00:09:13]. This concept, known as convergence, suggests that similar organs or adaptations can form independently in different groups [00:09:32].
However, the idea of the human foot arising twice is controversial [00:09:54], [00:09:57]. A significant counter-argument comes from the “genetic clock” of human lice [00:10:08]. Since three species of lice infest Homo sapiens, and it’s assumed their separation occurred over 3 million years ago due to hair loss upon descent from trees and entry into the savanna, genetics seemingly indicates that this descent could not have happened earlier than 3.2 million years ago [00:10:33], [00:11:04], [00:11:13], [00:11:18]. This directly contradicts the 6-million-year-old Crete tracks [00:11:20].
Nevertheless, other evidence exists. The Laetoli tracks from Tanzania, attributed to Australopithecus, clearly show definite bipedality and are older than the separation of these lice species, posing a question about why the lice didn’t keep up with the earlier bipedalism [00:11:30], [00:11:37], [00:11:50], [00:11:53], [00:12:08]. Thus, the Crete discovery, alongside other findings like slightly younger hominin traces in Malaga, Spain (over 5 million years old), which appear more primitive than those from Crete, continues to fuel the debate on human origins [00:12:50], [00:13:00], [00:13:06], [00:13:23], [00:13:35].
Environmental Drivers of Bipedalism
The Messinian Salinity Crisis, a geological event that led to the shallowing and near-drying of the Mediterranean Sea, played a significant role [00:15:12], [00:15:17], [00:19:46]. This rapid climate drying transformed forests into steppe or park forests in the Mediterranean basin [00:15:22], [00:15:26]. This environmental change, occurring twice and earlier than similar shifts in East Africa, forced many animal species to adapt, migrate, or face extinction [00:15:39], [00:15:42], [00:15:48]. The coastal savanna environment in Crete, with fauna similar to today’s African savanna, provided a setting where bipedalism could have been advantageous [00:17:36], [00:17:46], [00:18:45].
Early hominins, like the perpetrators of the Crete tracks, likely had a diet focused on easily accessible, high-energy food found along coasts, such as fruits, clams, snails, and crabs [00:19:00], [00:19:10], [00:19:14], [00:19:21]. This coastal foraging lifestyle would have necessitated efficient movement on land, favoring bipedal locomotion.
Preservation of Traces
Trace fossils, like the hominin footprints, are preserved when traces left on a surface (e.g., a beach) are fortunate enough to be covered by another sediment [00:02:00], [00:02:03]. Over millions of years, this sediment solidifies, turning sand into hard rock like sandstone, thus preserving the imprints [00:02:05], [00:02:08], [00:02:10].
The age of such traces is determined by various methods:
- Absolute Age Dating: Based on the decay of radioactive elements, particularly effective in volcanic areas [00:20:31], [00:20:36], [00:20:39].
- Ocean Level Correlation: Correlating regressive and transgressive sequences of sediments [00:21:11], [00:21:13], [00:21:22].
- Magnetostratigraphy: Using changes in the Earth’s magnetic poles over geological history [00:21:32], [00:21:43].
- Biostratigraphy: Using the speciation (emergence and disappearance of species) of fast-evolving organisms like foraminifera (marine plankton) found within the sediments [00:21:55], [00:21:57], [00:22:01], [00:22:07], [00:22:19].
In the case of the Crete tracks, all these dating methods were applied, leading to the precise age of 6.02 million years ago [00:22:28], [00:22:31], [00:22:34].
Impact on the Theory of Human Evolution
The Crete discovery, particularly the clear evidence of bipedality at such an early date, suggests a profound need to re-evaluate our understanding of human origins [00:06:05], [00:23:04], [00:23:09]. It underlines the importance of movement and adaptation to new environments as primary drivers of evolutionary change [00:23:33], [00:23:41].
The ability to walk upright freed the hands, likely enabling tool use and complex behaviors, even if the brain’s rapid expansion came later. It highlights that the unique human behavioral trait of dominating environments has roots in early bipedal hominins who bravely left the safety of forests to conquer new, challenging savanna environments [00:33:09], [00:33:25], [00:34:03]. This pioneering spirit of taking risks and adapting to new challenges, fueled by intelligence and cunning, has been a defining characteristic of our lineage for millions of years [00:34:23], [00:34:29], [00:34:42].