Get To Know Lucy, One Of Humanity's Earliest Ancestors

CLEVELAND, OH - From Cleveland Museum of Natural History: A new exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History gives visitors a chance to get to know one of their early human ancestors a little better. “Finding Lucy: Our First Steps in Discovery” opens Saturday, March 23, and will run through December 1; it is included with Museum admission.

“Lucy is one of the most important discoveries in human evolutional studies and marked a huge step forward in our knowledge of our evolution,” said Sonia Winner, president and chief executive officer of the Museum. “The impact of our research and science education both onsite and in the field continues to be felt locally and globally.”

Lucy’s official name is Australopithecus afarensis, a partial skeleton that an international team of scientists led by former Museum curator Dr. Donald Johanson discovered in 1974 in the Afar desert of Ethiopia. The find put the Museum on the map as a global leader in the study of human origins.

At the time, “Lucy” was the oldest and most complete early human ancestor to show evidence of upright walking. Researchers unearthed 40 percent of the specimen, which is estimated to be about 3.2 million years old.

“Lucy” has served as an important reference that has expanded researchers’ understanding of the morphology and anatomy of the earliest human ancestors and increased knowledge of human evolution. Named after the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” she has even seemed very humanlike to many people.

“Over the years, through research publications and the media, people all over the world have connected with ‘Lucy’ as an individual – not a fossil specimen,” said Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie, curator of physical anthropology at the Museum. “Although no longer the oldest human ancestor discovered or most complete fossil specimen, she remains an icon of paleoanthropology.”

About The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, incorporated in 1920, is one of the finest institutions of its kind. It is noted for its collections, research, educational programs, and exhibits. The collections encompass millions of artifacts and specimens, and research of global significance focuses on 11 natural science disciplines. The Museum conserves biological diversity through the protection of more than 10,000 acres of natural areas. It promotes health education with local programs and distance learning that extends across the globe. Its GreenCityBlueLake Institute is a center of thought and practice for the design of green and sustainable cities.