Lucy (australopithecine)

Lucy is a famous fossilized early human ancestor belonging to the species Australopithecus afarensis, dating back about 3.2 million years. Discovered in Ethiopia in 1974, she provides crucial evidence about human evolution, showing that our ancestors walked upright on two legs while still having adaptations for climbing trees. Lucy’s skeleton is about the size of a modern primate, but her upright posture marked a key step toward the development of modern humans, highlighting how early hominins gradually evolved traits important for bipedalism and survival in diverse environments.