Donald Johanson is best known for discovering Lucy , a famous 3.2-million-year-old fossil of an early human ancestor found in Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy is one of the most complete early hominin skeletons ever found and helped change what scientists understood about human evolution.

Quick Scoop

  • What he discovered: the fossil skeleton nicknamed Lucy.
  • Where: the Hadar site in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
  • Why it matters: Lucy provided strong evidence about early human ancestry and upright walking in ancient hominins.

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