Finder of Lucy fossil puts evolution on display

ASU professor Donald Johanson, the man who discovered the Lucy fossil in 1974, says he has always been a collector.

With help from ASU's Institute for Humanites Research, a small part of Johanson's collection of personal correspondence, scientific papers, diaries, photographs and notes amassed during his four-decade career is now on display at the Hayden Library. 

The display features Johanson's 1978 scientific paper describing the new species, Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy was the oldest, most complete skeleton of an adult ancestor of humans when Johanson found her in a remote gully in northeastern Ethiopia.

A recent article on azcentral.com highlighted Johanson’s attempt to archive his collection.

Lucy’s Legacy archive-project exhibition will be open to the public during library hours until May 31 at ASU Hayden Library Rotunda, Luhrs Gallery on the fourth floor, 300 E. Orange Mall, Tempe.