Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Scientists once believed they could pinpoint the moment when humans first appeared. But as new fossils have filled in our evolutionary history, that defining moment has begun to disappear – replaced by a far stranger picture of what it means to be human.
Lucy is one of the most famous fossils ever discovered, but in recent years her spotlight has dimmed. She was part of the species Australopithecus afarensis and for decades was considered one of our earliest known human ancestors. To understand Lucy is to understand the story of discovery, human evolution and, ultimately, the changing story of us.
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MORE FROM NEW SCIENTIST
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🌐 Website: newscientist.com
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About New Scientist:
New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human.
New Scientist
newscientist.com
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
01:50 The Fossil That Was Supposed To Explain Everything
12:00 The Human Leap That Never Happened
17:55 The Evolutionary Gap In The Human Record
22:41 So... What Counts as Human?
26:25 The Line We Invented
#evolution #science #humanity #ape #primate #fossils #paleontology
Scientists once believed they could pinpoint the moment when humans first appeared. But as new fossils have filled in our evolutionary history, that defining moment has begun to disappear – replaced by a far stranger picture of what it means to be human.
Lucy is one of the most famous fossils ever discovered, but in recent years her spotlight has dimmed. She was part of the species Australopithecus afarensis and for decades was considered one of our earliest known human ancestors. To understand Lucy is to understand the story of discovery, human evolution and, ultimately, the changing story of us.
Learn more ➤ youtu.be/aCfmEJOh5t0
❤️ Love New Scientist? For a specially discounted New Scientist digital subscription, go to bit.ly/3OFhwvL
⭐️ We have a podcast, too: Subscribe to @TheWorldTheUniverseAndUs
🛍️ Check out our shop for the smartest gifts - shop.newscientist.com
MORE FROM NEW SCIENTIST
─────────────────────────────
🌐 Website: newscientist.com
📸 Instagram: bit.ly/NSYTINSTA
📘 Facebook: bit.ly/NSYTFB
🐦 Twitter: bit.ly/NSYTTW
📈 LinkedIn: bit.ly/NSYTLIN
About New Scientist:
New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human.
New Scientist
newscientist.com
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
01:50 The Fossil That Was Supposed To Explain Everything
12:00 The Human Leap That Never Happened
17:55 The Evolutionary Gap In The Human Record
22:41 So... What Counts as Human?
26:25 The Line We Invented
#evolution #science #humanity #ape #primate #fossils #paleontology
