Human Ancestor Lucy Still Has Secrets 50 Years After Discovery

The discovery of 3.18 million year-old remains was a breakthrough for paleontology (Credit: AFP)

She was, for a while, the oldest known member of the human family. Fifty years after the discovery of Lucy in Ethiopia, the remarkable remains continue to yield theories and questions.

In a non-descript room in the National Museum of Ethiopia, the 3.18-million-year-old bones are delicately removed from a safe and placed on a long table.