Final answer:
The Laetoli footprint trail indicates that A. afarensis walked bipedally in a manner similar to modern humans, with adaptations like a human-like pelvic structure despite other more ape-like physical traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Laetoli footprint trail is a significant paleoanthropological discovery that provides evidence about the locomotion of Australopithecus afarensis. Discovered by Mary Leakey in the 1980s, the trail of footprints suggests that these hominins had a mode of bipedal movement similar to modern humans, indicated by a modern striding gait. In contrast to great apes, the pelvic structure of A. afarensis is more like that of modern humans, suggesting an adaptation to bipedalism. Moreover, despite having long arms and curved fingers and toes—traits associated with tree-dwelling primates—A. afarensis is also believed to have been capable of upright walking on two legs.