Lucy the ancient human walked fully upright, and she was ripped

New Atlas ^ | June 14, 2023 | Bronwyn Thompson

[SunkenCiv]

Recreating the musculature of the leg and pelvis, the imagery supports the supposition that this part-time tree-dwelling hominin walked completely erect, like humans, but more than three million years earlier.

Starting with human MRI and CT scans to map muscle pathways, Wiseman next focused on virtual reconstructions of Lucy's bones and joints, and then married up cues from muscle "scarring" on the bones.

The resulting model shows how Lucy was capable of upright, erect locomotion but also possessed powerful leg muscles that facilitated her species' half-land, half-arboreal lifestyle. Researchers believe the extra muscle power in the legs – 74% of the total mass compared to around 50% for humans – enabled A. afarensis to exploit both land and tree habitats.

[SunkenCiv]

Workflow diagram outlining the process for the study

Ashleigh Wiseman/University of Cambridge

• from the FRchives: Neanderthals walked upright just like the humans of today [02/25/2019]

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Red Badger.

[Nervous Tick]

model shows how Lucy was capable of upright, erect locomotion but also possessed powerful leg muscles

In other words, they're building "models" and presuming from them, but they don't really know sh!t about "Lucy". Who herself is a made-up entity to give her empathy and credibility.

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the keyword, sorted, edited:

• Human Ancestor Fossils in the "Cradle of Humankind" May Be More Than a Million Years Older Than Thought [South Africa] [06/29/2022]
• 'Jumping gene' may have erased tails in humans and other apes [09/22/2021]
• Mysterious human ancestor finds its place in our family tree [04/06/2020]
• 'Siberian unicorn' walked Earth with humans [11/27/2018]
• Eye evolution came easy for simple sea creatures [07/23/2018]
• Ken Ham Auctions Authentic Photo Of His Great-Great-Grandfather Riding Triceratops [07/15/2018]
• 3 million-year-old toddler could climb trees, study says [07/08/2018]
• Early human ancestor Lucy 'died falling out of a tree' [08/29/2016]
• Lucy Had Neighbors: a Review Of African Fossils [06/18/2016]
• Neanderthal Bone Fragment Identified in Denisova Cave [04/02/2016]
• 'First human' discovered in Ethiopia [03/04/2015]
• Early Human 'Lucy' Swung from the Trees [10/29/2012]
• Fossil find puts 'Lucy' story on firm footing [02/11/2011]
• Ancient 'Lucy' Species Ate A Different Diet Than Previously Thought [10/23/2009]
• Before Lucy came Ardi, new earliest hominid found (4.4 million years old) [10/01/2009]
• Archaeologist Explains Link Between Bones Found In Ethiopia, Texas [12/22/2007]
• Famous fossil Lucy leaves Ethiopia (on a U.S. tour) [08/06/2007]
• Ancient Jawbone Could Shake Up Fossil Record [ Australopithecus anamensis ] [07/17/2007]
• Israeli researchers: 'Lucy' is not direct ancestor of humans [04/16/2007]
• 'Lucy' Hominid Skeleton to Tour American Museums [12/08/2006]
• Lucy's U.S. Tour: Ape-like female who died 3.2 million years ago may be coming [11/25/2006]
• Lucy's ancient bones to tour US [10/25/2006]
• 'Lucy's baby' found in Ethiopia [09/20/2006]
• Faithful Ancestors [06/17/2005]
• Ethiopia to Exhibit 'Lucy' Fossil in United States [04/12/2004]

[SunkenCiv]

IOW, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

[Zack Attack]

Luuuuucccyyyy! Somebody got some splainin to do.

[Nervous Tick]

Then enlighen me. Use facts, please.

[Reno89519]

Yes, as they write, supposition. Lots of it.

[SunkenCiv]

Right back at ya.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Right back at ya.

O-tay.

“models”? Like climate change “models” that have no predictive power?

I have no faith in “models”. Especially “models” that are built on... what? They have nothing.

And you have absolute faith in “models” of what a prehistoric body looked like, based only on ... what... fossil remains?

Sorry. I’m skeptical, and I have every right to be, especially given the sorry, intellectually poor state of the “intellectual” “modelmakers” these days.

...you?

[Nervous Tick]

>> >> Right back at ya.

Per your obstreperous demand, I got “right back atcha”.

So what happened to you, sparky? Facts got yer tongue tied?

[irishjuggler]

All that plus kaleidoscope eyes.

[DesertRhino]

I saw a life size Lucy replica at the anthropological museum at there local university. I was face to face with a 3.5 foot tall chimpanzee. So those years of articles in National Geographic calling her a human… BS.

[mass55th]

So she looked like Big Mike Robinson.

[DannyTN]

Here's Lucy with Ethel, her best friend from the cave next door.

[DannyTN]

Here's Lucy with Ethel, her best friend from the cave next door.

[SteveH]

74% of mass in the legs implies to me mostly ambulatory on the ground, not arboreal. rock climbers typically need and have more well developed than usual arm muscles to help them climb.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

“Starting with human MRI and CT scans to map muscle pathways, Wiseman next focused on virtual reconstructions of Lucy’s bones and joints, and then married up cues from muscle “scarring” on the bones.”

Skeptical. Seems like a lot of extrapolation based on “human MRI and CT scans” and “reconstructions” from a few leg bone fragments.

https://www.donsmaps.com/images29/articulatedlucyp1140400.jpg

[Bobalu]

[sit-rep]

yes... presenting fantasy as fact gives them a lot to write about.