Well, Google can put another feather in its cap. That’s because Google Earth is being credited with helping to find a rare hominid fossil in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa.The discovery includes two partial hominid skeletons which are said to be in “remarkable condition”. The skeletons are dated to be between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old. So you’re probably asking how did Google Earth help?
Professor Lee Berger of Witswatersrand University in Johannesburg began using Google Earth back in March 2008 to map out known fossil deposits and caves. Using this information and satellite imagery Berger went on to find 500 previously unidentified fossil and cave sites leading to the recent discovery of the rare hominid fossil and the new species, Australopithecus sediba. At the beginning of the project, there were only 130 discovered cave sites and around 20 fossil deposits.
What’s unbelievable to me is that such a significant find could be accomplished using a free tool. I’m sure news like this is exactly what motivates the Google Earth and Google Maps teams to continue to enhance their tools. After all, you never know when a new enhancement could help lead to the next great scientific discovery.
Read more at the Google Blog