Researchers surveying the Alathar lake, situated within an interdunal depression in the western Nafud Desert, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy: Palaeodeserts Project
The first human footprint discovered at the Alathar ancient lake. Humans may have hunted the big mammals but they did not stay long, using the watering hole as a waypoint on a longer journey. This detailed scene was reconstructed by researchers in a new study published in Science Advances on September 16, following the discovery of ancient human and animal footprints in the Nafud Desert that shed new light on the routes our ancient ancestors took as they spread out of Africa. Klint Janulis / AFP
An elephant trackway found in the Nafud Desert. The discovery sheds new light on the routes our ancient ancestors took as they spread out of Africa. Paul Breeze / AFP
The edge of the Alathar ancient lake deposit, where the discoveries were made, and surrounding landscape in the Nafud Desert. Badar Zahrani / AFP
Animal fossils eroding out of the surface of the Alathar ancient lake deposit in the Nafud Desert in Saudi Arabia. Badar Zahrani / AFP
A fossilised elephant footprin found in the Nafud Desert of Saudi Arabia. The latest discoveries shed new light on the routes our ancient ancestors took as they spread out of Africa. Bagilbert Price / AFP
Researchers surveying the Alathar lake, situated within an interdunal depression in the western Nafud Desert, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy: Palaeodeserts Project
The first human footprint discovered at the Alathar ancient lake. Humans may have hunted the big mammals but they did not stay long, using the watering hole as a waypoint on a longer journey. This detailed scene was reconstructed by researchers in a new study published in Science Advances on September 16, following the discovery of ancient human and animal footprints in the Nafud Desert that shed new light on the routes our ancient ancestors took as they spread out of Africa. Klint Janulis / AFP
An elephant trackway found in the Nafud Desert. The discovery sheds new light on the routes our ancient ancestors took as they spread out of Africa. Paul Breeze / AFP
The edge of the Alathar ancient lake deposit, where the discoveries were made, and surrounding landscape in the Nafud Desert. Badar Zahrani / AFP
Animal fossils eroding out of the surface of the Alathar ancient lake deposit in the Nafud Desert in Saudi Arabia. Badar Zahrani / AFP
A fossilised elephant footprin found in the Nafud Desert of Saudi Arabia. The latest discoveries shed new light on the routes our ancient ancestors took as they spread out of Africa. Bagilbert Price / AFP
Researchers surveying the Alathar lake, situated within an interdunal depression in the western Nafud Desert, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy: Palaeodeserts Project
Saudi Arabia discovers new archaeological site that dates back 120,000 years
The footprints of humans, elephants and predators were discovered around an ancient dry lake on the outskirts of Tabuk
