Description of Laetoli

The Pliocene paleoanthropological site of Laetoli (3°13'S, 35°13'E) is located on the western flank of the Ngorongoro Volcanic Highlands within the Serengeti Plains in the northern part of Tanzania. Laetoli is about 40 km south of Olduvai Gorge and lies within the Western Zone of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority. Laetoli may be viewed as contiguous with Olduvai Side Gorge. Physiographically, plains with exposed gullies, hills and biota that represent open grassland with scattered trees, and bushes characterize the modern Laetoli landscape. Laetoli receives a varying annual precipitation of between 60 and 100 mm, mainly during a single wet season that is occasionally followed by a varying short rainfall period between August and October. The average annual temperature registered for Ngorongoro Conservation Area, including the western Zone in which Laetoli lies, is between 17°C and 21°C.