australopithecus afarensis

  • Lucy’s Brain Was Part Ape, Part Human

    Lucy’s Brain Was Part Ape, Part Human

    The famous 3.2-million-year-old Lucy specimen has captivated scientists since it was discovered in 1974. Lucy was a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis, which walked upright and likely used tools. New scans of the inside of Australopithecus skulls reveal these extinct hominins had surprisingly ape-like brains that developed more like human brains.