Ancient human ancestor was taller than first thought, his footprints say

He stood a majestic 1.65 meters, weighed around 45 kilograms and maybe had a harem. That's what scientists figure from the footprints he left behind some 3.7 million year ago.

He's evidently the tallest known member of the prehuman species best known for the fossil skeleton nicknamed "Lucy", reaching a stature no other member of our family tree matched for another 1.5 million years, the researchers say.

The 14 footprints are impressions left in volcanic ash that later hardened into rock, excavated last year in northern Tanzania in Africa. Their comparatively large size, averaging a bit over 26 centimeters, suggest they were made by a male member of the species known as Australopithecus afarensis.