{"id":131146,"date":"2024-11-28T20:13:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T13:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=131146"},"modified":"2024-11-28T20:13:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T13:13:50","slug":"lucys-legacy-50-years-on-the-fossil-that-changed-our-understanding-of-human-evolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=131146","title":{"rendered":"Lucy&#8217;s Legacy: 50 Years On, The Fossil That Changed Our Understanding Of Human Evolution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"isPasted\">It was already pretty hot by the time Donald Johanson and his graduate student, Tom Gray, arrived at the site at Hadar, Ethiopia, on the morning of November 24, 1974. The two had initially set out to map the location but decided to have a look around for any signs of fossils while they were there. Unfortunately, there were very few fossils visible on the surface at the time, but they did manage to find some fragments belonging to antelopes, gazelles, and even a bit of a monkey. Not exactly the most auspicious of finds for a site that was known to have sediments that are over 3 million years old.<\/p>\n<p>As the baking sun reached its zenith, the two researchers started back to the car, but they decided to go via a different route along a gully. It was at this point that Johanson happened to look over his shoulder and something caught his eye. Lying on a slope was a small piece of bone that appeared to be the right proximal ulna (forearm) of some sort of animal \u2013 probably a monkey. However, as he turned the piece over in his hand, Johanson realized he was looking at something different \u2013 it appeared to belong to some sort of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/we-all-carry-neanderthal-and-denisovan-dna-heres-how-that-affects-us-76935\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hominid<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While examining the rest of the slope, Johanson and Gray then found a piece of skull bone, a femur, a pelvis, some ribs, and a lower jaw complete with some teeth.<\/p>\n<p>These bones were tiny, but over the next few weeks of further excavation, Johanson, Gray, and colleagues discovered several hundred bone fragments at the site now known as Afar Locality 288. They carefully logged the exact location for each piece and then took them back to camp for further analysis. Eventually, the team had collected around 40 percent of a single skeleton belonging to a previously unknown hominid species.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, Johanson and Gray knew they had something special on their hands, but they were not aware of just how significant this find was and what it would mean for our understanding of human <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/tags\/ancient-ancestors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ancestry<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It has now been 50 years since Lucy\u2019s skeleton was found on that Ethiopian slope, and over the decades she has become an iconic figure in the story of human evolution.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Lucy on a slope with gravel\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Lucy&#8221; may not sound like a name you\u2019d give an important scientific specimen, but it is pretty memorable, as is the story of how it came about.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"blockquote--content\">\n<p>She began to emerge as a personality as well as an important scientific discovery.<\/p>\n<p>Donald Johanson<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/search.asu.edu\/profile\/50790\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Johanson<\/a> told IFLScience, while the excavation team relaxed in their camp on that night in November 1974, he and his then girlfriend, Pamela Alderman, were discussing the potential sex of the mysterious specimen when The Beatles\u2019 1967 hit <em>Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds<\/em> came on the radio. As Johanson was convinced the bones belonged to a female individual, they decided to nickname her Lucy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fr-image-container no-background\" data-asset-id=\"80457\" data-reactroot=\"\">\n<div class=\"fr-image\"><picture title=\"\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80457\/hadar-ethiopia-landscape-l.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80457\/hadar-ethiopia-landscape-l.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(min-width: 568px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80457\/hadar-ethiopia-landscape-m.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 568px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80457\/hadar-ethiopia-landscape-m.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(max-width: 567px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80457\/hadar-ethiopia-landscape-s.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(max-width: 567px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80457\/hadar-ethiopia-landscape-s.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"inline-image fr-fic fr-dib\" data-asset-id=\"80457\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80457\/00 landscape\u2014DCJ1177-Edit.jpg\" alt=\"A photo shows the landscape of Hadar, where Lucy's remains were discovered in 1974. The scene is a relatively barren African landscape with small trees and rocky hillsides stretching into the distance.\" title=\"A photo shows the landscape of Hadar, where Lucy's remains were discovered in 1974. The scene is a relatively barren African landscape with small trees and rocky hillsides stretching into the distance.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"fr-figcaption\">\n<p>Hadar, Ethiopia, where Lucy&#8217;s remains were discovered in 1974.<\/p>\n<p>Image courtesy of The Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p>The technical name of the hominid species<em>\u00a0<\/em>Lucy belonged to \u2013 for which she was the first known example \u2013 was <em>Australopithecus afarensis<\/em>, but that was neither known at the time, nor is it so easy to remember.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce that [name] was uttered,\u201d Johanson told IFLScience, \u201cit stuck. From then on, everyone just started saying things like \u2018Are we going to go back to the Lucy site? Do you think we&#8217;ll find more of Lucy&#8217;s skull? How old do you think Lucy was when she died? Etc, etc.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo she began to emerge as a personality as well as an important scientific discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s a significant component of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/lucy-australopithecus-five-things-you-may-not-have-known-0-32251\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lucy\u2019s legacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[S]he&#8217;s become sort of the benchmark&#8230; I think that even more than [being just a skeleton], people recognize this discovery as an individual.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Lucy<em>\u00a0<\/em>and <em>Australopithecus afarensis<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1007\/s12052-010-0249-6#:~:text=The%20australopiths%20are%20a%20group,and%201.4%20million%20years%20ago.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Australopithecus afarensis<\/em><\/a> is a member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/what-do-we-know-about-australopithecus-anamensis-73628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">australopithecine<\/a> group, early hominins (humans and their close and now extinct relatives) that lived in Africa around 4.1 to 1.4 million years ago. Prior to Lucy\u2019s discovery in 1974, palaeoanthropologists were aware of only one other member of this group \u2013 <em>Australopithecus africanus\u00a0<\/em>(meaning \u201csouthern ape of Africa\u201d) \u2013 which had been discovered back in 1924. But, at this time, fossil discoveries were extremely limited, so not much was known about these ancient hominids.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fr-image-container no-background\" data-asset-id=\"80458\" data-reactroot=\"\">\n<div class=\"fr-image\"><picture title=\"\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80458\/lucy-s-skeleton-l.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80458\/lucy-s-skeleton-l.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(min-width: 568px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80458\/lucy-s-skeleton-m.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 568px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80458\/lucy-s-skeleton-m.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(max-width: 567px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80458\/lucy-s-skeleton-s.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(max-width: 567px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80458\/lucy-s-skeleton-s.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"inline-image fr-fic fr-dib\" data-asset-id=\"80458\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80458\/00 LUCY 300 dpi cleaned.jpg\" alt=\"The photo shows the assembled pieces of Lucy's skeleton arranged on a red cloth. There is sufficient numbers to make out most of her form, though the skull is made of fragments and her lower arms, ribs and much of her legs are still missing.\" title=\"The photo shows the assembled pieces of Lucy's skeleton arranged on a red cloth. There is sufficient numbers to make out most of her form, though the skull is made of fragments and her lower arms, ribs and much of her legs are still missing.\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"fr-figcaption\">\n<p>Lucy&#8217;s remains laid out.<\/p>\n<p>Image courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p>The relatively complete nature of Lucy\u2019s remains, however, provided an unprecedented understanding of the species. Importantly, Lucy\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/iho.asu.edu\/about\/lucys-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">skeleton<\/a> indicated that these early hominids were bipedal, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/lucy-walked-upright-32-million-years-ago-new-3d-model-shows-69380\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">walking upright<\/a> on two legs, like modern humans. For instance, Lucy\u2019s distal femur (the lower part of her thigh bone that forms the top part of the knee joint) has several features that are unique to bipedality. This includes the angle of its shaft relative to the condyles (the rounded part of the joint), which allowed Lucy to balance on each leg, one after the other, as she walked.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"blockquote--content\">\n<p>If we had developed big brains first and were still quadrupedal, and we were out there looking over the tall grass, you would announce that you were on the menu.<\/p>\n<p>Donald Johanson<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>These condyles are also quite large, suggesting they could handle the increased weight that comes with this type of locomotion. Other markers of bipedality include the shape of her pelvis, which is adapted for upright balance; and significantly, her talus \u2013 the bone in the ankle that connects foot to leg \u2013 shows signs of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/researchers-suggest-big-toe-was-last-part-foot-evolve-180970012\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">big toe<\/a> that would have been used for balance and shock absorption, rather than the manipulative abilities we see in monkeys and apes.<\/p>\n<p>But despite the significance of this evidence, not everyone was convinced of Lucy\u2019s<em>\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/what-the-32-million-year-old-lucy-fossil-reveals-about-nudity-and-shame-74866\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">importance<\/a>. As with so many instances in the history of science, some members of the wider scientific community took some time to accept that they were indeed dealing with not only a new species of hominid, but also one that walked upright.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a lot of opposition as to the meaning of the diversity in the specimens,\u201d Johanson explained. Some researchers believed that, rather than walking upright like a human, Lucy was merely \u201cthe ape that stood up,\u201d meaning she walked with bent hips and bent knees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not a very efficient way to walk,\u201d Johanson added. \u201cI mean, you&#8217;re expending so much energy; you fatigue extremely quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"social-disclaimer-para\"><span contenteditable=\"false\" draggable=\"true\" class=\"fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Donald Johanson at the National Museum of Ethiopia\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Sb1e9nPr5Jo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"isPasted\">In terms of human evolution, Lucy\u2019s ability to walk on two legs suggested that humans (and their relatives) evolved bipedality before their brains increased in size. This was an important realization: Lucy had the anatomy for walking on two legs, but the brain case of her skull was \u201cvery small\u201d. As Johanson explained, \u201cThe endocranial volume was sort of like what you would typically see in a chimpanzee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis meant the long-standing argument about \u2018did we stand up first and then get big brains so that we could, you know, leave the forest trees or the forest, and then make a living out on the Savannah\u2019 was settled,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we had developed big brains first and were still quadrupedal, and we were out there looking over the tall grass, you would announce that you were on the menu. So in terms of natural selection, you\u2019d be gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How do we know Lucy was female and how old was she?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Okay, so Lucy\u2019s<em>\u00a0<\/em>skeleton can tell us a lot about how these hominids moved, but how do we know she was female and not, as Johanson said, \u201cLucifer\u201d, a male? Well, according to Johanson, it was obvious the specimen was female from the moment he found the fossil fragments, and this related to their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/males-are-larger-than-females-or-are-they-new-data-challenges-100-years-of-bias-73347\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">size<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although the difference between modern male and female humans is very limited, apes and other ancient human ancestors had high levels of what is called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/9781118924396.wbiea2195\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sexual dimorphism<\/a>\u201d \u2013 difference in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/genetics-behind-differences-in-male-and-female-organs-decoded-for-first-time-71411\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">size and shape<\/a> between male and females. This was also true for <em>Australopithecus afarensis<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have sexual dimorphism. Yes, differences in size and all of these early human ancestors had males that were significantly larger [than females], probably because they&#8217;re being selected for large size, perhaps for protection of the troop they&#8217;re living in, and also warding off predators and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd females are being kept small because they have very high energy requirements, you know, nurturing a foetus, giving birth, breastfeeding a child.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given how small<em>\u00a0<\/em>Lucy\u2019s bones are, it would suggest a female individual. Some may argue that perhaps this means the specimen was just a child, but Lucy\u2019s teeth also show signs of age. Her jawbone has third molars \u2013 her wisdom teeth \u2013 which have erupted and have begun to wear. This would suggest Lucy<em>\u00a0<\/em>was at least a young adult when she died.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Lucy\u2019s<em>\u00a0<\/em>bones and skull had fused, suggesting she had completed her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/growing-bones-and-gut-feelings-the-latest-steps-on-the-quest-to-map-every-human-cell-76860\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">skeletal development<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What happened to Lucy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It is currently unclear how Lucy died, but we can infer a few things from her bones. Firstly, there is no indication that she was killed by a predator. If she had been attacked by an animal, you would expect to see marks from teeth or claws on her remains, but she is free of such evidence.<\/p>\n<p>In 2016, a study conducted a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature19332\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CT scan<\/a> of her bones and suggested that Lucy<em>\u00a0<\/em>had fractures in her shoulder joint and arm that are consistent with those experienced by someone falling from a height. However, this study\u2019s conclusions remain controversial and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/australopithecus-afarensis-lucy-species.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">have not been accepted by everyone<\/a>, including Johanson, who believes the fractures could have occurred postmortem.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why Are We The Only Surviving Human Species?\" allowtransparency=\"true\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/player-v2\/?from=embed&amp;i=vfsxd-1651107-pb&amp;share=1&amp;download=1&amp;fonts=Arial&amp;skin=1b1b1b&amp;font-color=auto&amp;rtl=0&amp;logo_link=episode_page&amp;btn-skin=8bbb4e&amp;size=150\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The future of our (evolutionary) past<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Over the last 50 years, Lucy<em>\u00a0<\/em>(along with subsequent discoveries) has helped us understand significant aspects of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/lucys-hands-may-have-been-capable-of-using-tools-32-million-years-ago-76277\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">evolutionary heritage<\/a>. However, there remain many questions yet to be answered. Johanson would like to think that, in the next 50 years, palaeoanthropologists will be able to address current mysteries related to the palaeoenvironment in which Lucy and other members of her species lived. In particular, this could help explain why some species of ancient hominins died out while others survived.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, there are still many questions related to the development of human intelligence, and at what point, and under what conditions, did our brains start to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/human-brains-are-getting-bigger-could-this-impact-our-health-73562\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">grow in size<\/a>?<\/p>\n<div class=\"fr-image-container no-background\" data-asset-id=\"80488\" data-reactroot=\"\">\n<div class=\"fr-image\"><picture title=\"\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80488\/donald-johanson-at-hadar-site-l.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80488\/donald-johanson-at-hadar-site-l.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(min-width: 568px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80488\/donald-johanson-at-hadar-site-m.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 568px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80488\/donald-johanson-at-hadar-site-m.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(max-width: 567px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80488\/donald-johanson-at-hadar-site-s.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(max-width: 567px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80488\/donald-johanson-at-hadar-site-s.jpg\" type=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/image\/jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"inline-image fr-fic fr-dib\" data-asset-id=\"80488\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.iflscience.com\/assets\/articleNo\/76943\/iImg\/80488\/20240124 DonaldJohansonArrivesatSite_375-Enhanced-NR.jpg\" alt=\"Donald Johanson arrives at the Hadar Research Project, January 2024, Hadar, Ethiopia; he is pictured in the center with six other researchers, and there is a table in front of them with lots of palaeontological specimens\" title=\"Donald Johanson arrives at the Hadar Research Project, January 2024, Hadar, Ethiopia; he is pictured in the center with six other researchers, and there is a table in front of them with lots of palaeontological specimens\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"fr-figcaption\">\n<p>Donald Johanson arriving at the Hadar Research Project site in Ethiopia in January 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Image courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University; credit: Stephen Filmer<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe first tools are well over 2.6 million years old,\u201d Johanson said, \u201cbut we don&#8217;t see any significant brain expansion until around 2 million years, right? So I think we want to know not just what types of changes were going on but the reason why they happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These are just some of the questions that are being explored at the moment by palaeoanthropologists. Perhaps they will be answered in the near future or maybe it will take longer, but it will be interesting to see whether Lucy plays any role, or whether the findings add to what we know of this enigmatic individual. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iflscience.com\/lucys-legacy-50-years-on-the-fossil-that-changed-our-understanding-of-human-evolution-76943\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was already pretty hot by the time Donald Johanson and his graduate student, Tom Gray, arrived at the site at Hadar, Ethiopia, on the morning of November 24, 1974. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=131146\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=131146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131146\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=131146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=131146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=131146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}