Lucy main content.

Lucy

Part of Hall of Human Origins.

A display case with a partial skeleton, a small sketch of three skeletons, and an artistic rendering including flesh and hair showing how this early hominid may have appeared.

"Lucy" is one of the most complete skeletons found to date from the early hominids that flourished between 4 and 2 million years ago. The skeleton consists of bones from a single individual, presumably female, who stood well under 4 feet tall.

Discovered by scientists in 1974, the 3.18-million-year-old Lucy was named after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," which the researchers listened to as they celebrated their remarkable find.