Representative of the now extinct species Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy turned our vision of prehistory upside down when she was discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia. Her skeleton, which was found at 40%, is indeed among the most complete for such an ancient period, and allows us to conclude that she was bipedal, but still capable of climbing trees with great ease.
Analyzes of the bones of Lucy’s skeleton allowed scientists to estimate that Lucy was an Australopithecus who died at the age of about 20. The causes of his death, however, are not clearly identified. It is very likely that she fell at least 12 meters, probably from a tree, as evidenced by fractures to the humerus, ankle and knee.
However, it is the age of her fossilized bones that makes Lucy a true prehistoric star. They are indeed estimated at 3.2 million years. At the time of its discovery, it is one of the oldest skeletons ever found.
>>French paleontologist Yves Coppens, discoverer of Lucy, is dead
Many symbols can be attributed to a first name, especially when it is attached to a being as old and historically enriching as Lucy. However, this first name was given to her by the French and American scientists who discovered her, because they were then listening to the song Lucy in the sky with diamonds, by the famous Beatles group. Lucy’s “scientific” name is less romantic: AL 288-1. However, Lucy is no longer considered the first human being. Indeed, he (…)
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