Britannica Sources used in this answer

When was Lucy discovered?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Side view illustration of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human ancestor, shown walking upright with a hairy body and ape-like facial features. A scale beside the figure marks 12 inches and 40 centimeters. — Australopithecus Artist's rendering of *Australopithecus afarensis*, which lived from 3.8 to 2.9 million years ago.

The fossil skeleton known as Lucy was discovered on November 24, 1974, by American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson at the Hadar site in Ethiopia.21

The specimen, which is classified as Australopithecus afarensis, is approximately 3.2 million years old and represents one of the most complete hominin skeletons ever found, with roughly 40 percent of the individual recovered.21