Click here for our free newsletter. He might be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but Superman tripped over an emotionally charged issue in his latest adventure. Jenette Kahn, DC Comics president, has since apologized. Superman, who was created in Cleveland by two Jewish teenagers in 1938, celebrated his 60th anniversary in June. Since scientists generally believe that all living people today descended from one common female ancestor who lived in Africa between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago and the fossilized tracks appear to be those of a woman, the find was dubbed Eve's footprints.
Scientists prefer conserving artifacts where they are found.
But, to protect the footprints from vandalism and the corrosive effects of waves, wind, and rain, the tracks were dug up last week from the dune rock in which they were embedded and transported some 60 miles to the South African Museum in Cape Town. Despite the high risk of damage, the tracks arrived unharmed. Tourists hoping to visit Eve's footprints where they were found need not worry. The museum plans to place replicas of the tracks at the original lagoon site and ultimately return the authentic prints in a protective case to a spot near where they were discovered. Plans are also being made to transform the entire lagoon region into a fossil trail, as other artifacts have been found nearby.