{{Use British English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} <!-- Deleted image removed: thumb|This map shows the location of Ileret, where the ''Homo erectus'' footprints were found. --> {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Ileret |other_name = |native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Village |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Kenya |pushpin_label_position = bottom |pushpin_mapsize = |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kenya |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{flag|Kenya}} |subdivision_type1 = County |subdivision_name1 = Marsabit County |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |established_title = |established_date = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = Metric |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |timezone = EAT |utc_offset = +3 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = {{coord|4.31155|N|36.22710|E|region:KE|display=inline,title}} |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |website = }}
'''Ileret''' (also spelled '''Illeret''') is a village in Marsabit County, Kenya. It is located in Northern Kenya, on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, north of Sibiloi National Park and near the Ethiopian border.
Numerous hominin fossils have been found near Ileret, including ''Homo erectus'' footprints dating back to about 1.5 million years ago, making them the second oldest hominin footprints ever found after those at Laetoli, Tanzania.<ref>BBC News, 26 February 2009: [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7913375.stm Earliest 'human footprints' found]</ref>
== Hominin fossils found near Ileret == Besides the ''Homo erectus'' footprints, numerous other fossils have been found near the Ileret site.
In 2012–2013, a team of researchers from Stony Brook University found new hominin fossils near Ileret, in two sites within the Kolom Odiet area.<ref name=":2" /> The fossils were representative of three different individuals, composing of two partial skeletons – KNM-ER (Kenya National Museum – East Rudolf) 64061 and KNM-ER 64062 – and an almost entirely completed mandible, KNM-ER 64060.<ref name=":3" />
KNM-ER 64060 and KNM-ER 64061 date back to 2.02 to 2.03 Ma, and KNM-ER 64062 goes back 1.82 to 1.86 million years ago.<ref name=":2" />
The KNM-ER 64060 mandible is only missing the right central incisor.<ref name=":3" />
The KNM-ER 64061 partial skeleton includes most of both humeral shafts, a partial right ulna and right clavicle, and a right shoulder blade. Its longer bones appeared to be slender, yet thick in its cross-sections.<ref name=":2" />
The KNM-ER 64062 skeleton possesses parts of a distal right humerus and scaphoid, and parts of a right foot with both primitive and derived features.<ref name=":3" />
These three individuals most likely represent members of early ''Homo'', the mandible being from ''Homo habilis'' and the partial skeletons being from ''Homo erectus''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=L|first=Jungers, William|last2=E|first2=Grine, Frederick|last3=G|first3=Leakey Meave|last4=Louise|first4=Leakey|last5=Frank|first5=Brown|last6=Deming|first6=Yang|last7=W|first7=Tocheri, Matthew|date=2015|title=New hominin fossils from Ileret (Kolom Odiet), Kenya|url=http://meeting.physanth.org/program/2015/session39/jungers-2015-new-hominin-fossils-from-ileret-kolom-odiet-kenya.html|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/researchers-identified-three-new-fossils-ancient-human-ancestors/|title=Researchers Identify Three New Fossils as Ancient Human Ancestors|work=IFLScience|access-date=2018-10-25|language=en}}</ref>
==''Homo erectus'' footprints at Ileret == <!-- Deleted image removed: thumb|This footprint suggests that the foot composition of ''Homo erectus'' was similar to modern humans. --> Fossilized footprints of ''Homo erectus'' were found in Ileret, Kenya. ''Science'' reported that there were multiple trails of footprints found at the Ileret site: “two trails of two prints each, one of seven prints and a number of isolated prints.” <ref name="ReferenceA">Citation error. See inline comment how to fix. {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/871546112 by a bug in VisualEditor and later identified by a bot. The original cite can be found at Special:Permalink/871534680 (or in a rev close to it) in either cite #6 or cite #2 - find and verify the cite and replace this template with it (1). User:GreenC bot/Job 18}}</ref> These footprints reveal that these early hominins most likely traveled in groups—evidence which researchers see as a sign of social behavior.<ref name="ReferenceB">Citation error. See inline comment how to fix. {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/871546112 by a bug in VisualEditor and later identified by a bot. The original cite can be found at Special:Permalink/871534680 (or in a rev close to it) in either cite #5 or cite #1 - find and verify the cite and replace this template with it (1). User:GreenC bot/Job 18}}</ref> Certain social behaviors distinguish humans from other primate species. Researchers attempt to find evidence of similar behaviors in the fossil or footprint records, however, it is difficult because this kind of fossil evidence is lacking.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
''Homo erectus'' fossils were discovered in 1.5 million-year-old layers of sediment. These fossils supplied information about soft-tissue and foot structure. Unlike the fossils, the footprints provide researchers with information about early foot anatomy.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Moreover, other ''Homo erectus'' fossils have been found in nearby areas and are the approximately the same age as the footprints found at Ileret.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
== ''Homo erectus'' compared to other hominins == Differences have been found between these footprints and common apes. According to Rutgers University, “the big toe is parallel to the other toes, unlike that of apes where it is separated in a grasping configuration useful in the trees.” <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.rutgers.edu/research-news/15-million-year-old-fossil-humans-walked-modern-feet/20090226#.XALb9WhKg2w|title=1.5 Million-Year-Old Fossil Humans Walked on Modern Feet|date=2009-02-26|work=Rutgers Today|access-date=2018-12-01|language=en}}</ref> The arch of the footprint is also human-like and the toes are much shorter than those of an ape. Short toes are a sign of “upright bipedal stance.” Additionally, relevant observations point to similarities between ''H. erectus'' and modern humans. The footprints reveal comparable body weights, strides and gaits.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> These early hominins are the first to have such similar body proportions to modern humans (''Homo sapiens''). [[File:Homo footprints.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Interpretation of a diagramatics o Human footprint in Laetoli (3.7 My) thought to be from ''A. afarensis''; Ileret (1.5 My), from ''H. erectus'', and ''H. sapiens''. The green lines represent the points under the same pressure/weight.]]
== Evidence of bipedalism == Bipedalism is a characteristic of modern humans. Fossil evidence reveals that hominins walked on two feet as early as 6 to 7 million years ago. It can be difficult to reconstruct gait evolution due to the inadequacy and scarcity of the fossil record. Often, fragments of bones are discovered and offer little information about hominins’ walking manners. Additionally, the hominin fossil record does not provide information concerning the social patterns of modern humans and other primates—patterns which drove evolution.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
The Ileret footprints provide significant evidence that ''Homo erectus'' was a bipedal hominin. The footprints provide evidence for a “modern human-like weight transfer” and support earlier discussions of ''Homo erectus’'' arched foot.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
== Researchers == The footprints were discovered in 2007 by John W. Harris, BG Richmond, and David R. Braun.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://anthropology.columbian.gwu.edu/david-r-braun|title=David R. Braun {{!}} The Department of Anthropology {{!}} The George Washington University|website=anthropology.columbian.gwu.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-10-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://evolution.rutgers.edu/people/ches-full-members/ches-all-members/86-ches-associates/108-john-w-k-harris|title=John W.K. Harris|last=Aguiar|first=Rolando de|website=evolution.rutgers.edu|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-10-25}}</ref>
== See also ==
* Koobi Fora, a fossil site and field research camp * Laetoli Footprints * Trachilos footprints Footprints in Greece
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-evolution-timeline-interactive Human Timeline (Interactive)] – Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History (August 2016).
{{Archaeological sites in Kenya}}
Category:Populated places in Marsabit County Category:Lake Turkana Category:Archaeological sites in Kenya Category:Pleistocene paleontological sites of Africa Category:Prehistoric Africa Category:Paleoanthropological sites Category:Archaeological sites of Eastern Africa