Published on 25/11/2024 12:11
Reading time: 1min – video: 2min
50 years ago, Lucy was discovered
Fifty years ago, 52 bone fragments were discovered in Ethiopia. These remains of a 3.2 million year old Australopithecus have found a name: Lucy. Its study has been fundamental in understanding our origin.
(franceinfo)
Fifty years ago, 52 bone fragments were discovered in Ethiopia. These remains of a 3.2 million year old Australopithecus have found a name: Lucy. Its study has been fundamental in understanding our origin.
It is the treasure of the Ethiopian national museum, handled with the slightest precautions. Meet Lucy, 3.2 million years old, the most famous of the australopithecines. Its discovery took place 50 years ago, in northeastern Ethiopia. A Franco-American team, including paleontologist Yves Coppens, unearthed 52 bone fragments, the skeleton of a female.
At the time, it was the oldest ever discovered, incredibly preserved. Beatles fans, the team nicknamed her Lucy, like the song. And Lucy has become a star that we reconstruct thanks to her bones. They revealed that it was a female in her twenties, 1.05 meters tall, with a varied diet, and capable of climbing trees.
Watch the full report in the video above.
