September 2014:​ Did humans evolve from a primitive "ape-like" ancestor named Lucy?

 

Lucy – the fossil remains belonging to the species Australopithecus afarensis – is presented in education systems and the media as an undisputed “ape-like” ancestor to modern humans. Lucy’s bones are reconstructed in textbooks and museum displays to appear very human (with a fully human upright posture and human gait). This portrayal has been used to convince countless students that Lucy and her kind, Au. afarensis, are proof that we evolved from “ape-men”. The popular press makes it appear as though no reasonable person would question the validity of Lucy’s status as our ancestor. However, upon careful examination of the scientific literature – the journal articles that analyze Lucy’s actual fossil remains in detail – paint a very different picture of Lucy and her kind, Au. afarensis. Could it be that Lucy and her kind are nothing more than an ordinary, tree-dwelling primate? Is there really compelling fossil evidence that shows Au. afarensis walked upright with a fully human gait? Students across the globe have not heard the full story about Lucy!    MORE...