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"Lucy - The 3½ Million Year Oldest Human Ancestor": Interview with Dr. Donald Johanson
Donald Carl Johanson, an American anthropologist, is an authority on human origins and one of the world's most successful fossil hunters. A 1974 expedition led by Johanson at Hadar, Ethiopia, discovered the fossilized remains of one of the earliest humanlike creatures that walked fully upright. The fossils, which are from a creature nicknamed "Lucy", are between 3 million and 3,600,000 years old. They belong to a species classified as Australopithecus afarensis (see Australopithecus).
Johanson also has added to knowledge of Homo habilis. Many anthropologists consider Homo habilis to be one of the oldest members of the genus (group) to which modern human beings belong. In 1986, a team of anthropologists led by Johanson to Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, discovered the first set of skull and limb bones belonging to a single Homo habilis individual. The length of the limb bones indicated Homo habilis was more apelike than scientists previously believed. (See Homo habilis)
Although many people would like to believe that such an event as this discovery of our oldest human ancestor should be a solemn serious affair; there was joyous celebrating. After months of exhaustive digging the entire crew was so elated with their find that they had a party under the sultry African sky. When asked what he was going to name the discovery Don Johanson could not think of anything. Blaring into the night was a recording of the Beatles' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. And the rest, as they say, is history!
Johanson was born on June 28, 1943, in Chicago. In 1981, he became director of the Institute of Human Origins in Berkley, California. Johanson is the coauthor of the books Lucy (1981), Lucy's Child (1989), and From Lucy to Language (1996).
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