Ancient footprints revise Nutcracker Man’s size and social life
New analysis of 1.4-million-year-old footprints from Kenya’s Koobi Fora Formation shows Paranthropus boisei was likely taller and heavier than previously thought—up to about 6 feet and 165 pounds—and that eight individuals may have crossed the site together, suggesting more complex social behavior; the tracks also help compare P. boisei with Homo erectus and demonstrate how footprints reveal anatomy and behavior beyond what bones alone can show.