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Little Foot cast unveiled at Maropeng
8 December 2006 By Clifford Mogotsi and Sipho None LITTLE Foot is possibly the most important fossil ever found, and for the first time ever visitors to Maropeng can see the full skeleton of the Australopithecine. "The discovery of Little Foot ranks among the most significant palaeoanthropological finds ever made in Africa, and for that matter in the entire world," said Professor Ron Clarke, who discovered the first bones in 1994. After more than 10 years of painstaking excavation, an in situ cast made of this national treasure has been installed at the Maropeng Visitor Interpretation Centre at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. It was unveiled by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shillowa; finance and economic affairs MEC Paul Mashatile; Professor Ron Clarke; his assistants, Steven Motsumi and Nkwane Molefe; and the vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, Loyisa Nongxa, on 7 December. Speaking at the unveiling, Shilowa said fossils were often not open for public viewing and this cast would allow the world to see an accurate copy of the excavation of Little Foot in situ at the Sterkfontein Cave. The cast shows the visitor what Little Foot looks like now in the breccia, before removal from the cave, at the site of excavation. When all the skeleton bones are brought out and pieced together it will be possible to see exactly what this early ancestor looked like. Little Foot is the most complete pre-human (Australopithecine) fossil unearthed to date, and probably the oldest in southern Africa. It was discovered after Clarke looked through boxes of animal fossils in 1994; among these he recognised bones belonging to a pair of hominid feet. Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa on the right and MEC Paul Mashatile (second from left) at the unveiling of Little Foot He considered it unlikely that two feet of the same specimen should have fallen into the cave, unless they had still been attached to a whole body. This led him to deduce that the rest of the skeleton had still to be encased in the breccia of the Silberberg Grotto, a portion of Sterkfontein Cave. "The excavation has yielded the most complete Australopithecine skull as well as the most complete set of foot and leg bones," Shilowa said. "Furthermore, the skeleton is extremely well preserved with most of the bones intact and joined in their natural position. All of these qualities make it one of the most significant hominid discoveries on the planet, and one that every South African should be proud of." In 1997 Clarke made a cast of the broken tibia bone he had found and sent his two assistants, Molefe and Motsumi, into the Silberberg Grotto, where they found a fragment that matched the tibia shaft, and eventually the complete skeleton of Little Foot. Shilowa said the Little Foot cast would attract even more people to Maropeng and give them a deeper understanding of the evolution of humanity. "Once Little Foot … is completely exhumed in the course of next year, it will reveal very important information on how pre-humans looked, moved and lived." He encouraged learners to visit Maropeng during the school holidays. Nongxa echoed his excitement, saying, "Little Foot's excavation from its three-million year encasing took almost 10 years, but I believe that its success gives us a unique opportunity … to unlock important secrets about human evolution. As of today, all South Africans and international visitors will be able to view a first edition cast of this fascinating palaeoanthropological find." Speaking after the cast was unveiled, Abel Molepolle, another of Clarke's assistants, said he was honoured to be part of such a memorable discovery. "I feel great to be part of a historic and memorable occasion. This means that in the next decades black people particularly - my kids - will realise how much I have contributed to the history of Little Foot's discovery." Molepolle joined Clarke's team in 1999 after spending time in Paris.
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Professor Ron Clarke with the complete skull of Little Foot
Related stories Learn about evolution at Maropeng Sterkfontein centre to lure millions back to their roots President opens Maropeng centre New Sterkfontein Cave complex opens
The fossil remains
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