Fossil footprints reveal Ice Age tale

A woman walks across muddy land. She carries a toddler in her arms. Sometimes, she lets the child walk. It is raining. A woolly mammoth and a giant sloth pass by.

It might sound like a scene from a film. But scientists studying ancient footprints say it really happened, more than 10,000 years ago.

The remarkable tale of this mother and child took place in the last Ice Age. Scientists have uncovered the story with the help of fossilised footprints.

This set of footprints shows a journey of almost a mile, so clear that a team has made a timeline of events.

The prints show a grown-up walking on soft, muddy ground. Every so often, the footprints are joined by much smaller ones. The team guess that it was a mother carrying a toddler, who they have named Zoe.

William Harcourt-Smith was one of the scientists on the team. He was amazed to learn that even in the Ice Age, parents carried their children just as they do today. He explained, “It’s a reminder that these people were just like us”.

Would you like to meet Zoe?

Yes! It would be amazing. We could compare lives. It would be fascinating to know what growing up in prehistoric times is like. Zoe and her mother could tell us about mammoths and other ancient animals. We would also be able to find out what we have in common, like loving our families. Of course, we should meet!

Maybe not. Zoe is only small and would be terrified! Imagine arriving in the modern world from the Ice Age. She would hate the noise of the cars. The buildings would be huge and scary. And it would be just as difficult if we went back in time. Meeting a giant sloth may sound fun, but in reality it would be very dangerous.