Our understanding of human ancestry has changed dramatically since the discovery of Lucy the ancient hominin 50 years ago.

The thinking of early theorists was that our evolution was a coordinated, linear process. Our ancestors’ brains grew steadily ...

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.

Welcome to This Day in History! Today, we take a moment to reflect on some significant events that have shaped our world on ...

Preserved in volcanic ash and measuring 27 meters (88 feet) long, the 3.6-million-year-old footprint trail was likely left behind by one of the earliest hominin species, Australopithecus afarensis—the ...

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

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

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

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

Arizona State Professor Donald Johanson discovered the Lucy fossil skeleton—dated at over 3 million years old—in Ethiopia 50 ...

The 3.2-million-year-old human ancestor known as Lucy sparked a revolution in scientists’ understanding of the origins of ...