Why Lucy Still Matters

		The Awash river in Ethiopa where Lucy lay undisturbed for millions of years

Though Lucy is no longer the oldest and may one day lose her title as most complete ancestral skeleton, her discovery fundamentally changed our view of human evolution. Before Lucy, anthropologists focused almost exclusively on intelligence as the trait that drove human evolution and were distracted by wondering what set of circumstances lead to our uniquely complex brain. Lucy's discovery not only helped solve that mystery but also begged new and different questions. In forcing Anthropology to ask "why stand upright?" Lucy's discovery rephrased the question, "what is it that makes us human?"

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Photo: Institute of Human Origins