Lucy on the Run: Reconstructing the Sprinting Capabilities of Our Ancient Ancestors

New research explores whether Australopithecus afarensis could run and what that means for human evolution.

The Running Ape? A New Look at Lucy’s Locomotion

For decades, Australopithecus afarensis has been at the heart of debates surrounding the origins of human bipedalism. Fossilized footprints from Laetoli and skeletal remains like Lucy’s have provided compelling evidence that our ancestors walked upright as early as 3.7 million years ago. But walking is one…