Lucy, Human Evolution

How Discovery of Lucy Skeleton Shaped Our Understanding of Human Evolution
The 3.2-million-year-old fossil, discovered 50 years ago, is considered to be one of the most significant early hominin specimens.
50 years after her discovery, Lucy's skeleton still shapes paleoanthropology
Fifty years ago, the discovery of a human ancestor "Lucy" generated worldwide attention. NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with paleoanthropologist Zeray Alemseged about the legacy of the discovery.
How a discovery 50 years ago rewrote human evolution theory
The thinking of early theorists was that our evolution was a coordinated, linear process. Our ancestors’ brains grew steadily larger as they started walking on two legs and standing taller until they became modern human — Homo sapiens.
Human ancestor Lucy still has secrets 50 years after discovery
She was, for a while, the oldest known member of the human family."The impact of the discovery was very big in the discipline and even the whole world," he told AFP. Lucy showed that members of the human family existed beyond three million years ago,
Lucy Was Discovered 50 Years Ago and She Continues to Be an Evolutionary Treasure Trove for Scientists
Lucy was discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia and when she was found 50 years ago, she was the oldest known human specimen in existence. The remains of the proto-human are 3.18-million-year-old and they continue to support new scientific investigations even to this day.
Lucy Is 50: How a Bombshell 1974 Discovery Redefined Human Origins
The hominid was discovered on November 24, 1974, in the Afar region of northeast Ethiopia by a team of scientists led by Maurice Taieb, Yves Coppens, Donald Johanson, Jon Kalb, and Raymonde Bonnefille.
The legacy of Lucy, the ‘Australopithecus’ that changed our idea of human evolution 50 years ago
The fossil remains of the unique hominid were found in Ethiopia in 1974, traveled around the world, were the subject of controversy and became an icon of science. Even today they continue to provide a
Meet Lucy, the celebrity of fossils, who changed our view of evolution
A collection of 3-million-year-old bones unearthed 50 years ago in Ethiopia changed our understanding of human origins.
This is why Lucy has been the face of human evolution for the last 50 years
Paleontologists unearthed the iconic fossil in 1974. Today, her legacy remains just as much cultural as it is scientific.
Fifty years after the discovery of Lucy, it’s time to ‘decolonise paleoanthropology’ says leading Ethiopian fossil expert – podcast
Yohannes Haile-Selassie is responsible for some of the most remarkable ancient human fossil discoveries in his home country.
Live Science4d
Lucy's last day: What the iconic fossil reveals about our ancient ancestor's last hours
Fifty years after a fossil skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis was unearthed in Ethiopia, we know so much more about how ...
Smithsonian Magazine2d
After 50 Years, Scientists Still Love Lucy
Paleoanthropologists have learned a lot about Lucy, the world’s most famous hominin fossil, since she was discovered in 1974.