Knowra Lucy (Australopithecus) Lucy (Australopithecus) Lucy is a partial skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. Its bones show that this early hominin walked upright while retaining adaptations for climbing.
AL 333 : A large collection of Australopithecus afarensis fossils excavated at Hadar, Ethiopia. Found at the same site, this assemblage provides a broader sample than Lucy’s partial skeleton.
Bipedalism : Habitual locomotion on two legs, especially walking upright on the ground. Lucy’s pelvis and leg bones are central evidence that her species walked bipedally.
Donald Johanson : An American paleoanthropologist who co-discovered Lucy in Ethiopia in 1974. Johanson led the expedition that recovered Lucy’s remains at Hadar.
Australopithecus : An extinct genus of African hominins that lived several million years ago. Lucy belongs to this genus, which documents early stages of hominin evolution.
Selam (Dikika child) : A juvenile Australopithecus afarensis skeleton discovered at Dikika, Ethiopia, in 2000. Its unusually complete juvenile bones complement Lucy’s adult skeleton.
Australopithecus afarensis pelvis : The broad, short pelvic anatomy characteristic of Australopithecus afarensis fossils. Lucy’s pelvic bones help establish how her species supported upright walking.
Hadar, Ethiopia : A fossil-rich region in Ethiopia’s Afar Triangle, known for hominin remains including Lucy. Lucy was discovered at Hadar during fieldwork in the region.
Human evolution : The evolutionary history of humans and their hominin ancestors. Lucy’s anatomy informs accounts of when upright walking emerged in that history.
Laetoli footprints : A 3.66-million-year-old trail of hominin footprints preserved in volcanic ash at Laetoli, Tanzania. These footprints provide independent evidence about how Lucy’s species walked.
Australopithecus afarensis foot : The foot anatomy of Australopithecus afarensis, known from fossil remains and Laetoli footprints. Foot structure helps test how closely Lucy’s species’ gait resembled modern human walking.
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