Final answer:
The Laetoli Footprint trail was created by Australopithecus afarensis, an early hominin species, exhibiting clear evidence of bipedal movement similar to modern humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Laetoli Footprint trail was formed by an early hominin species known as Australopithecus afarensis. This remarkable discovery by Mary Leakey in the 1980s in East Africa provided profound insights into our evolutionary history. The footprints, which are around 3.5 million years old (MYA), give evidence of a bipedal gait indicating that these hominins were walking on two feet, similar to modern humans.
Further analysis of the footprints shows characteristics such as a modern striding gait and a footprint that closely resembles that of modern humans. Australopithecus afarensis, which lived from approximately 3.9 to 2.9 MYA, had anatomical features conducive to both bipedalism and tree dwelling, such as a pelvic shape similar to humans and long, curved fingers and toes.