The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Non Life Sciences
  3. Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology
  4. How old are these footprints?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

How old are these footprints?

  • 6 Replies
  • 5932 Views
  • 0 Tags

0 Members and 6 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline FuzzyUK (OP)

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • 215
  • Activity:
    0%
    • https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php
How old are these footprints?
« on: 05/05/2010 21:58:55 »
I came across these footprints recently embedded in some rocks near Siwa in Egypt, and not far from the Libyan border. Any ideas?

Logged
 



Offline Bass

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1391
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 19 times
How old are these footprints?
« Reply #1 on: 05/05/2010 22:20:22 »
FINALLY!  Evidence that Bigfoot lived during the Carboniferous [:o]
Logged
Old enough to have grandsons
Slow enough to study rocks
Thirsty enough to build a pub
 

Offline Bass

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1391
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 19 times
How old are these footprints?
« Reply #2 on: 05/05/2010 22:23:10 »
Who knows!  The footprints cut across the strata in the rock, meaning that they post-date the rock formation.  My guess is that someone carved these in the not too distant past
Logged
Old enough to have grandsons
Slow enough to study rocks
Thirsty enough to build a pub
 

Offline JimBob

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 6543
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 9 times
  • Moderator
How old are these footprints?
« Reply #3 on: 07/05/2010 16:29:00 »
WELLLL ..   lets get reasonable here.

I have not been on my large steam-powered computer for a while, banging along on my lap top. Now that I am viewing this on my 10x20 meter wall screen, my considered opinion is that this is not a rock, but a dried out, hard siltstone. If you look closely there are ripple marks running perpendicular to the foot prints. I will lay good odds that this was closet to a former water-hole and these footprints were formed about 13,000 to 15,000 years ago,when the Sahara dried out. In fact, if this is in the Siwa Oasis proper, it is certainly a recently formed impression of feet.
Logged
The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open.  -- A. Einstein
 

Offline RD

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 9094
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 163 times
How old are these footprints?
« Reply #4 on: 07/05/2010 19:11:18 »
More contrast...
 
 [ Invalid Attachment ]


* IMG_9819bx.jpg (116.27 kB, 480x720 - viewed 649 times.)
Logged
 



Offline FuzzyUK (OP)

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • 215
  • Activity:
    0%
    • https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php
How old are these footprints?
« Reply #5 on: 12/05/2010 23:06:22 »
Quote
I will lay good odds that this was closet to a former water-hole and these footprints were formed about 13,000 to 15,000 years ago,when the Sahara dried out. In fact, if this is in the Siwa Oasis proper, it is certainly a recently formed impression of feet.

Well they might be the oldest human footprints ever found, a few million years old:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6956902.stm

http://www.mathaba.net/0_index.shtml?x=561569
Logged
 

Offline JimBob

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 6543
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 9 times
  • Moderator
How old are these footprints?
« Reply #6 on: 12/05/2010 23:33:10 »
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was only aware of the Lucy-like prints and they are older - 3.6 MM years. Homo sapiens  are believed to evolved only 200,000 years ago. So if these foot prints are 2 MM years old, they would be better described as human-like.
Logged
The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open.  -- A. Einstein
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags:
 
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.625 seconds with 45 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.