Australopithecines
Australopithecus afarensis
"Lucy"
3.9–2.9 Ma·1.00 Ma·Discovered 1974
Description
Lucy: 40% of a female adult skeleton. The Laetoli footprints (3.66 Ma) are likely from this species and prove full bipedalism.
Notable facts
- Lucy is named after a Beatles song
- May have died falling from a tree (Kappelman et al. 2016)
- Laetoli footprints show three individuals walking together
- Over 300 specimens known today
Key specimens
AL 288-1
"Lucy"
40% complete female skeleton found by Donald Johanson in 1974 at Hadar, Ethiopia.
DIK-1-1
"Selam" — the Dikika child
Nearly complete 3-year-old skeleton dated to 3.3 Ma. Discovered by Zeresenay Alemseged in 2000.
AL 333
"First Family"
13 individuals from a single site — adults and children found together.
Laetoli footprints
Laetoli trackway
70 footprints from three bipeds walking on volcanic ash 3.66 Ma ago.
Anatomy
Sexual dimorphism: males ~1.5 m, females ~1.05 m. Small brain, ape-like upper body.
Locomotion
Fully bipedal on ground, still some tree-use.
Diet
Plant-based: fruits, leaves, seeds; some animal protein.
Tools & culture
No confirmed tools, but cut-marks on bones at Dikika (3.4 Ma) suggest tool use.
Where to see it
National Museum of Ethiopia (originals); casts worldwide.
Media & references
Image ·
Wikimedia Commons · Wikipedia article