Fifty years ago, Kent State University Distinguished Professor Owen Lovejoy, Ph.D., was among the very first researchers to study the remains of the famous “Lucy” (Australopithecus afarensis), a 3-million-year-old fossil that had recently been discovered by paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson in Hadar, Ethiopia.
When discovered in 1974, “Lucy” resulted in significant breakthroughs regarding the evolution of humankind. While the species, Australopithecus afarensis, shows ape-like characteristics in its physical proportions, it was also discovered to have been bipedal and walked upright on two legs. According to Lovejoy, this realization is significant. Walking upright meant that the species was able to bring food back to the group.
He shared that our early ancestors formed social structures where males and females bonded and formed family units. We were wired to form stronger social bonds than any other closely related primate species, research on the human brain reveals.
Lovejoy talks to Ideastream’s Jeff St. Clair about his experiences studying this significant anthropological artifact and what insights he gleaned from his research.
Listen to “The Sound of Ideas” interview featuring Owen Lovejoy, Ph.D.
Banner Photo: Owen Lovejoy, Ph.D., holds a copy of Lucy's leg bone (femur) in his lab. Photo courtesy of Ideastream Public Media.