3.2 million year-old human ancestor, Lucy still centre of human evolution study: Video
Fifty years after her discovery in Ethiopia, the 3.2-million-year-old skeleton of Lucy remains a landmark in the study of human evolution.
Found in 1974, Lucy was the oldest and most complete human ancestor unearthed at the time, transforming scientific research understanding of early hominins.
Head of Paleoanthropology at Ethiopia's National Museum, Sahleselasie Melaku, told the AFP "Still Lucy is very famous because of the bold fact that she was discovered in the dark age, and the whole world, you know, knows about this discovery for a very long time. And the impact of the discovery was very big in the discipline or in even the whole world because the information that came out from Lucy was a big deal."
Jean-Renaud Boisserie of France’s National Centre for Scientific Research noted Lucy’s rarity, as skeletal finds before her were sparse and far less complete. "Fifty years ago, we knew very little about anything older than 3 million years," he explained. "Lucy changed that."
Tourists continue to visit Ethiopia to see Lucy’s replica on display, drawn by her iconic status. "It was my dream to see Lucy," said Dipayan Kat, a visitor.
"She represents the starting point of humanity," he added.
