A collection of 3-million-year-old bones unearthed 50 years ago in Ethiopia changed our understanding of human origins.

The 3.2-million-year-old fossil, discovered 50 years ago, is considered to be one of the most significant early hominin ...

Paleoanthropologists have learned a lot about Lucy, the world’s most famous hominin fossil, since she was discovered in 1974.

She was, for a while, the oldest known member of the human family. Fifty years after the discovery of Lucy in Ethiopia, the ...

The stunningly complete fossil was nicknamed "Lucy." And her remarkable species, Australopithecus afarensis, may have been our direct ancestor. Our discoveries about Lucy have transformed our ...

On the anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, paleoanthropologists reflect on what she means to science, and what she taught us ...

But it turns out her species, Australopithecus afarensis, wasn't alone. In fact, as many as four other kinds of proto-humans roamed the continent during Lucy's time. But who were Lucy's neighbors ...

It has been 50 years since archaeologists discovered Lucy, perhaps the most famous ancient hominin ever found. But the ...

Perhaps most importantly, Lucy’s discovery foreshadowed a series of fossil finds that filled in the scientific picture of her species. By 1978, enough evidence had accumulated to establish Lucy as the ...

Fifty years ago, the discovery of a human ancestor "Lucy" generated worldwide attention. NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with paleoanthropologist Zeray Alemseged about the legacy of the discovery.

Lucy lived in a wide range of habitats from northern Ethiopia to northern Kenya. Researchers now believe she wasn't the only ...