Meet Lucy: The Ancient Hominid That Changed Our Story

Lucy, the famous fossil discovered in Ethiopia 50 years ago, is still revealing secrets. This ancient hominid, named after the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, " was found by a team of scientists in 1974. The 3. 18-million-year-old bones, including dental remains and parts of the pelvis and femur, make up about 40% of Lucy's skeleton. She walked on two legs and was about 1. 1 meters tall and 29 kg. Lucy's discovery showed that human-like creatures existed long before we thought. Her bones helped scientists understand our early ancestors better. They even think she had back problems due to a deformed vertebra. Later finds in Ethiopia, South Africa, and Kenya made us question how different species of hominids emerged. Some studies suggest Lucy spent a lot of time in trees and may have died from a fall. Recent research shows that newborns of her species had immature brains, like human newborns today. This means they needed a lot of parental support to survive. Experts say Lucy is like an aunt or cousin to us, not a grandmother. Her bones are studied often, but they no longer leave Ethiopia. New technology helps scientists learn more about her and other early human ancestors.