Little Foot

Australopithecus prometheus

Estimated age

3.67 million years

Discovery location

Sterkfontein Caves, Silberberg Grotto

Discovered by

Ron Clarke (1994-1997)

Significance

Little Foot (StW 573) is one of the most complete Australopithecus skeletons ever discovered. The near-complete skeleton took over 20 years to excavate from the cave breccia.

Scientific interpretation

The skeleton shows a mix of bipedal and arboreal adaptations, suggesting Little Foot was comfortable both walking upright and climbing trees.

Archaeological evidence

Found deep within the Silberberg Grotto at Sterkfontein, the skeleton was embedded in calcified cave sediments (breccia) and required painstaking excavation.

Related publications

Clarke, R.J. (2019). Excavation, reconstruction and taphonomy of the StW 573 Australopithecus prometheus skeleton. Journal of Human Evolution.
Clarke, R.J. & Kuman, K. (2019). The skull of StW 573, a 3.67 Ma Australopithecus prometheus skeleton from Sterkfontein Caves.

Interactive 3D model

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