Donald Johanson

Donald Johanson was an American paleoanthropologist famous for discovering the fossil of "Lucy," a 3.2-million-year-old australopithecine skeleton, in Ethiopia in 1974. This discovery was crucial because it provided significant evidence of early human ancestors walking upright, a key trait in human evolution. At the time, Lucy's discovery reshaped our understanding of human ancestry and evolution, offering insights into how humans developed over millions of years. Today, Johanson's work continues to inspire curiosity and research in anthropology and archaeology, encouraging people to explore and understand our ancient past. For example, students studying human evolution are inspired by Lucy's discovery to pursue careers in science, aiming to uncover more about our origins and how they relate to our modern lives.