Specimen List

australopithecus afarensis

AL 333w-60

  • Geologic Age:

    3.2 Ma

  • Discovery Date:

    1976-1977

  • Discovered By:

    I.A.R.E.

  • Discovery Location:

    Hadar, Ethiopia

  • Specimen Age:

    Adult

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AL 129-1

  • Common Name:

    Johanson's Knee

  • Geologic Age:

    3.4 Ma

  • Discovery Date:

    30 Oct 1973

  • Discovered By:

    Donald Johanson

  • Discovery Location:

    Hadar, Ethiopia

  • Specimen Age:

    Adult

  • Original Publication:

    Johanson and Taieb 1976

AL 129 was one of the first hominin fossils discovered at Hadar. Known as Johanson's knee, AL 129, helped to establish that Australopithecus afarensis utilized some form of bipedality.


LH 4

  • Geologic Age:

    3.6 Ma

  • Discovery Date:

    1974

  • Discovered By:

    Maundu Muluila

  • Discovery Location:

    Laetoli, Tanzania

  • Specimen Age:

    Adult

  • Sex:

    Undetermined

  • Original Publication:

    Leakey et al. 1976

The type specimen for Australopithecus afarensis is an adult mandible identified as LH 4. The fossil was found at Laetoli, Tanzania, and dates between 3.7 and 3.4 Ma.


AL 200-1

  • Geologic Age:

    3.2 Ma - 3 Ma

  • Discovery Date:

    17 Oct 1974

  • Discovered By:

    Ato Alemayehu Asfaw

  • Discovery Location:

    Hadar, Ethiopia

  • Specimen Age:

    Adult

  • Sex:

    Undetermined

  • Original Publication:

    Johanson and Taieb 1976

AL 200-1 (a and b) was discovered during remarkable 1974 field season at Hadar to included the recovery of the famous "Lucy" fossil. The maxilla is relatively complete, although broken into two pieces. All 16 teeth are present. The fossil derived from a mudstone horizon1 dated between 3.2 and 3 Ma.


AL 266-1

  • Geologic Age:

    3.2 Ma - 3 Ma

  • Discovery Location:

    Hadar, Ethiopia

  • Specimen Age:

    Adult

  • Sex:

    Undetermined

  • Original Publication:

    Johanson and Taieb 1976

The partial mandible was a surface find discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia along with other specimens identified as Australopithecus afarensis. AL 266-1 dates to approximately 3 to 3.2 Ma.


AL 288-1

  • Common Name:

    Lucy

  • Geologic Age:

    3.2 Ma

  • Discovery Date:

    30 Nov 1974

  • Discovered By:

    Donald Johanson

  • Discovery Location:

    Hadar, Ethiopia

  • Cranial Capacity:

    410 cc

  • Specimen Age:

    Adult

  • Sex:

    Female

  • Estimated Weight:

    28.9 kg

  • Height:

    107 cm

  • Original Publication:

    Johanson and Taieb 1976

The fossils specimen AL 288, often referred to as Lucy, was discovered in an ancient river bed in an area known as Hadar in East Africa. Many A. afarensis fossils dating between 3.4 and 2.5 million years ago have been found at Hadar, though none as old or complete as the famous Lucy fossils. AL288-1 was nicknamed "Lucy" after the Beatles' song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", which was playing at the time she was first examined by anthropologists. Her remains are permanently housed at The Ethiopian National Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.