Institute of Human Origins
School of Human Evolution and Social Change
Arizona State University
Lucy,
Australopithecus afarensis
Bio
I was born around 3.2 million years ago in what is now known as the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia. I died at the edge of a lake and my bones fossilized. I don't remember exactly what happened. It was a really long time ago.
Education & Skills
I have had no formal education, but I am capable of walking upright on two legs, carrying food from place to place (or eating on-site) and have mastered the art of capturing termites on the end of a stick. (In case you have never eaten them, let me tell you, termites are delicious and nutritious!)
Employment
When my fossilized bones were discovered by an American anthropologist named Donald Johanson in 1974, I provided clues about the origins of humankind. Some call me "the missing link," but I do not subscribe to this lofty title. In evolution, there are no missing links: it's a very gradual process. But I am proud to say that I am a member of the species that yielded two lineages, one of which went extinct, and one which led to Homo sapiens. You can read more about me in almost every book about human evolution, or by googling "Lucy skeleton."