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Age constraints for the Trachilos footprints from Crete
Uwe Kirscher1,2, Haytham El Atfy3,4, Andreas Gärtner5
1Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. uwe.kirscher@uni-tuebingen.de.
Scientific Reports
|October 12, 2021
Summary
The Trachilos section
Area of Science:
- Paleontology
- Geochronology
- Stratigraphy
Background:
- The Trachilos section on Crete contains potentially the oldest hominin footprints.
- Previous dating of the section had uncertainties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To refine the age of the Trachilos sedimentary section.
- To establish a more precise age for the hominin footprints found within the section.
Main Methods:
- Magnetostratigraphy to determine magnetic polarity.
- Biostratigraphy using foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton.
- Cyclostratigraphy based on magnetic susceptibility data.
Main Results:
- Integrated magneto- and biostratigraphic data correlate the section with Chron C3An.1n (6.272–6.023 Ma).
- Cyclostratigraphy constrains the footprint age to approximately 6.05 Ma.
- The refined age suggests the footprints are older than previously estimated.
Conclusions:
- The Trachilos section was deposited between 6.272 and 6.023 Ma, with footprints dated around 6.05 Ma.
- This updated timeframe provides crucial context for early hominin evolution and dispersal.
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