Friday, March 6th, 2009

Don Johanson - Lucy's Legacy

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Anthropologist Bill Jungers of Stony Brook University Medical Center shows off a new cast of the most complete skeleton of Homo floresiensis -- also known as the “hobbit.” The hominid, which lived 17,000 years ago, was about sixty pounds and just over three feet tall. Jungers explains how the bones--particularly the feet--help explain where the hobbit might fit into the evolutionary tree. (Credits: ) Viewed 14319 times. See More Videos

In 1974, anthropologist Don Johanson and colleagues working in Ethiopia discovered 'Lucy,' a 40-percent complete skeleton of a previously unknown type of ancient hominid. The species, which later was named Australopithecus afarensis, had a small, apelike brain, but was adapted to walk upright -- over 3 million years ago.

In this segment, Ira talks with paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson, co-discoverer of the 'Lucy' fossil, about the find and what's been discovered since then about the human family tree.

Guests

Donald Johanson
Anthropologist, discovered "Lucy"
Co-Author (with Kate Wong): "Lucy's Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins," (Harmony Books, 2009)
Virginia M. Ullman Chair in Human Origins
Director, Institute of Human Origins
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona