- A new study has found that Lucy, an early human ancestor, had knee joints that allowed her to walk fully upright.
- The study, published in the journal Nature, is the first to provide direct evidence that Lucy was bipedal.
A new study has found that Lucy, an early human ancestor, had knee joints that allowed her to walk fully upright. The study, published in the journal Nature, is the first to provide direct evidence that Lucy was bipedal.
Lucy was a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis, which lived in Africa between 3.9 and 3.0 million years ago. She was about 3.5 feet tall and weighed about 60 pounds. Her skeleton, which was discovered in 1974, is one of the most complete early human skeletons ever found.
The new study was conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge. They used computer models to reconstruct Lucy’s knee joints. The models showed that Lucy’s knees were capable of fully extending, which is a necessary requirement for bipedalism.
The study’s findings suggest that Lucy was not only bipedal, but that she was also an efficient walker. This is significant because it suggests that bipedalism evolved earlier than previously thought.
The study’s findings also have implications for our understanding of the evolution of human intelligence. Bipedalism freed up the hands for other tasks, such as tool use and carrying food. This may have played a role in the development of human intelligence.