Australopithecus afarensis

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Australopithecus afarensis is an extinct primate species, which to some, is considered to be the "missing link" in human evolution. Although A. afarensis is an older species than A. africanus, it is thought to be one of the closest ancestors to modern humans. The monumental remains known as "Lucy" stemmed from one of the most famous paleoanthropological finds in recent history. The potassium-argon dating found that the ancient species is thought to have lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. This discovery of the potential missing link remains the subject of heated discussions within many scholarly circles.

Distinguished Digs

1973: AL 129-1 Knee joint¹
Discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia by Donald Johanson, the angle of the proximal tibia suggests a bipedal hominid.
1974: Afar Depression Site Lucy
Discovered by the International Afar Research Expedition (IARE), Lucy became one of the most notable finds in the history of human biological evolution.
1978: Laetoli Site
The Laetoli site is located in Tanzania which is just south of Olduvai gorge. The site was being excavated by Mary Leakey and her team in 1975 when thirteen specimens of Australopithecus afarensis were discovered, including the current holotype of Australopithecus afarensis. When returning to the site in 1978, the team uncovered over 20,000 animal tracks which included hominid footprints. The cluster of footprints found in the Tuff dates from 3.76 to 3.49 million years ago.
2006: Afar Depression Site "Lucy's baby"²

Physical Attributes

Bipedal Locomotion
Evidence seen when examining pelvis structure, knee joint and foramen magnum

External Links

1 AL 129-1
2 Lucy's Baby

References

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