人类祖先“露西”骨化石复制品亮相世博

Early human fossil "Lucy" showcased during Expo
 

The early human skeleton reconstruction "Lucy" debuts in Expo site.

"Lucy" dates back to 3.2 million years.

Ethiopian exhibition area staff offer coffee to visitors.

The early human skeleton reconstruction "Lucy" dating back 3.2 million years debuted this morning at Ethiopian exhibition area in Joint-Africa Pavilion in Expo site.

The Ethiopian Commissioner General to Expo 2010, Sisay Getachew , and chief official in charge of Joint-Africa Pavilion with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination unveiled the skeleton reconstruction.

The skeleton reconstruction exhibited in the pavilion is the only copy of the "Lucy" fossil.

"Lucy" was the nickname of a set of several hundred pieces of bones of about 40% of the female skeleton of an individual Australopithecus afarensis, found in 1974 in Ethiopia. The cranial capacity of "Lucy" was 400cc with the average human from that period from 300 cc to 500 cc. Male cranial capacity was slightly larger. In comparison, modern human cranial capacity is between 1300cc to 1500cc on average.

The nickname of "Lucy" was given to the fossils while the discoverers played the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" to celebrate the find.