Seven footprints may be the earliest evidence of humans on the Arabian Peninsula

Experts say discovery of 120,000-year-old prints could shed new light on spread of Homo sapiens out of Africa

A set of seven footprints made at a lake about 120,000 years ago have been hailed as the earliest evidence of modern humans on the Arabian Peninsula - a discovery experts say could shed light on the spread of our species out of Africa.

The path by which Homo sapiens spread around the world was full of twists and turns. Genetic studies suggested it was not until 60,000 years ago that a migration of modern humans out of Africa led to a successful spread across Europe.