What did the discoveries of the skeletons of Lucy and Ardi reveal?

What did the discoveries of the skeletons of Lucy and Ardi reveal?

Move over, Lucy. Scientists today announced the discovery of the oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor. The find reveals that our forebears underwent a previously unknown stage of evolution more than a million years before Lucy, the iconic early human ancestor specimen that walked the Earth 3.2 million years ago.

What did the discovery of the Lucy skeleton reveal?

Don Johanson describes finding the knee joint in Hadar, Ethiopia, that first indicated a bipedal hominid had lived 3 million years ago. His subsequent expedition led to the discovery of Lucy, a 40 percent complete skeleton of a new species of hominid, now known as Australopithecus afarensis.

What does the discovery of Ardi and Lucy suggest?

Move Over, Lucy; Ardi May Be Oldest Human Ancestor Scientists working in Ethiopia have discovered what they say is the biggest trove of fossils yet from the earliest known human ancestor. Fossils include teeth that suggest a new, more sophisticated procreation strategy for the time: males exchanging food for sex.

Why was the discovery of Ardi important?

Experts have described the find as the most important regarding human evolution in the past century. The discovery of Ardi provides vital clues about the earliest human ancestor that lived at the fork in the evolutionary road that led to humans on one side and chimps on the other. “Darwin was very wise on this matter.

Is Lucy a Neanderthal?

Fast Facts on an Early Human Ancestor. Perhaps the world’s most famous early human ancestor, the 3.2-million-year-old ape “Lucy” was the first Australopithecus afarensis skeleton ever found, though her remains are only about 40 percent complete (photo of Lucy’s bones).

Are Ardi and Lucy related?

Nicknamed Ardi, the skeleton preserved many parts missing from Lucy (including hands, feet, and skull) and was 1.2 million years older. Searchers eventually found more than 100 specimens from other individuals of this species.

How old are the fossils of Lucy and Ardi?

The Hadar team collected hundreds more specimens of the same species later dubbed Australopithecus afarensis. These filled in parts missing from Lucy, including skull, hands, and feet. Today this fossil species is one of the best-known in the human family with more than 400 specimens ranging from 3 to 3.7 million years old.

When did Lucy and Ardi change human history?

Beyond 4 million years ago, the fossil record of our ancestors remained almost entirely blank for two decades after the discoveries at Hadar.

How old was Lucy when she was discovered?

These filled in parts missing from Lucy, including skull, hands, and feet. Today this fossil species is one of the best-known in the human family with more than 400 specimens ranging from 3 to 3.7 million years old. The discovery of Australopithecus afarensis advanced science in numerous ways.

Where does the Institute of human origins store Lucy’s bones?

IHO has replicas of Lucy‘s bones, which were produced in the Institute‘s casting and molding laboratories. The “real” Lucy is stored in a specially constructed safe in the Paleoanthropology Laboratories of the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.