Story perspectives

Lucy: 3.2 Million-Year-Old Skeleton Redefines Human Evolution

11/25/2025

Summary

Story summary

Anthropologists Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discovered Lucy in Hadar, Ethiopia, on November 24, 1974.
Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis, was the most complete human ancestor known at the time.
Its anatomy showed she was adapted for bipedalism, challenging the view that larger brains evolved before upright walking.
Discovery prompted further exploration for older hominins, leading to the identification of over 500 Australopithecus afarensis fossils.

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Story summary

Anthropologists Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discovered Lucy in Hadar, Ethiopia, on November 24, 1974.
Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis, was the most complete human ancestor known at the time.
Its anatomy showed she was adapted for bipedalism, challenging the view that larger brains evolved before upright walking.
Discovery prompted further exploration for older hominins, leading to the identification of over 500 Australopithecus afarensis fossils.