Since the introduction of Darwin’s theory, supporters of evolution have consistently sought concrete evidence to confirm its validity. The search for potential human ancestors has continued for decades, though with limited success. Occasionally, a new fossil is discovered and hailed as a missing link. However, it often emerges that the specimen’s similarity to humans was exaggerated, or that a newer, more complete find replaces it as the next candidate for the ‘ancestor of man’.1
Lucy is among the most widely recognised fossil specimens believed to be a human ancestor, largely because of her prominence in popular culture. She was a female from the species Australopithecus afarensis, and her remains were discovered in 1974 in the Hadar region of Ethiopia. The team led by Dr Donald Johanson found 47 bones, although the knee joint, which was used to assess her similarity to humans, was not among them.2
Lucy (…) was simply a great ape that became extinct. She did not evolve into Homo sapiens and was not a missing link.
The preserved remains show that from the neck up, Lucy looked very much like a gorilla. Her brain was about one-quarter the size of a human brain. Her jaw had a U-shape, similar to that of a gorilla, and her teeth were much larger than human teeth. From the neck down, her body also did not resemble that of a human. Later remains of this species, which according to evolutionary theory should be more human-like, show long, curved fingers on both hands and feet, well suited for climbing trees.3
What distinguishes Lucy from other great apes?
Dr Donald Johanson, who discovered Lucy, concluded from her skeleton that she was bipedal. She looked similar to a chimpanzee but was able to stand more upright and showed more human-like features than other great apes.4 Until recently, many evolutionists believed that the key trait separating early humans from great apes was brain size, since australopithecines had small skulls. Now, most evolutionists consider upright posture more important, which means that any creature walking on two legs is often classified as a human ancestor.5
Besides the skeleton, another argument for Lucy’s bipedalism was a set of footprints discovered by Mary Leakey in 1976 in Laetoli, Tanzania, about 1,000 miles from the site where Australopithecus remains had been found two years earlier. The fossilised prints were left by at least two individuals walking on two legs. They looked just like footprints that could be made by modern humans walking barefoot. Since radiometric dating of the volcanic layers where the prints were found places them at around 3.66 million years old, evolutionists reject the idea that they were made by humans, who, according to their theory, did not yet exist. Paleoanthropologist Timothy White suggested the prints were left by australopithecines, believed to have lived at that time.6
A greater number of ape-like than human-like characteristics
Lucy had many features typical of great apes. Her fingers were long and curved, which suggests she probably spent most of her time in trees. Her wrist had a locking mechanism similar to that of chimpanzees, meaning she most likely moved on all fours, supporting herself on her knuckles, as modern apes do.7 Scans of the inner ear canals of australopithecines, which relate to posture and balance, were carried out by Dr Fred Spoor and his colleagues at University College London. The results showed that it is very unlikely they walked upright.8
It therefore seems unlikely that Lucy’s relatives were responsible for the footprints at Laetoli, even if they were capable of limited bipedal movement, similar to that of modern apes. The individuals who left these prints had a big toe aligned with the rest of the foot, and the impressions clearly resembled those made by modern humans. It is hard to believe that a tree-dwelling ape could have possessed such a foot structure. The only argument in favour of the claim that these footprints belonged to australopithecines is their estimated age.9
The discovery of Lucy’s remains was certainly important from a scientific point of view, but its significance is often overstated by evolutionists. All the evidence suggests that she was simply another extinct great ape. She did not evolve into Homo sapiens and was not a missing link, since, according to the Book of Genesis, man was created in the image and likeness of God, not through evolution. As Dr David Menton and Dr Elizabeth Mitchell state, all animals were created by God according to His will, and finding the remains of an extinct ape that may have walked on two legs does not undermine the authority of the Bible.10 Dr David A. DeWitt argues that even if Lucy was able to walk upright, it does not prove that humans came from such a creature, as God could have created a primate species with that ability.11
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
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- The Transformation of Fins into Limbs
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Footnotes
- DeWitt, D.A., 2006. Lucy and Her “Child” Look Like Extinct Apes After All. Answers in Genesis. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/lucy/lucy-and-her-child-look-like-extinct-apes-after-all/.
- Menton, D. and Mitchell, E., 2012. A Look at Lucy’s Legacy. Answers in Genesis. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/lucy/a-look-at-lucys-legacy/.
- Morris, J.D., 1989. Was Lucy An Ape-man? Institute for Creation Research. Available at: https://www.icr.org/article/was-lucy-ape-man.
- Morris, J.D., 1994. Has the Missing Link Been Found? Institute for Creation Research. Available at: https://www.icr.org/article/has-missing-link-been-found.
- Morris, J.D., 1995. What Distinguishes Man from Ape? Institute for Creation Research. Available at: https://www.icr.org/article/what-distinguishes-man-from-ape.
- Menton, D. and Mitchell, E., 2012. A Look at Lucy’s Legacy, op. cit.
- DeWitt, D.A., 2006. Lucy and Her “Child” Look Like Extinct Apes After All, op. cit.
- Catchpoole, D., 2006. New evidence: Lucy was a knuckle-walker. Creation Ministries International. Available at: https://creation.com/new-evidence-lucy-was-a-knuckle-walker.
- Wieland, C., 2005. Lucy: walking tall—or wandering in circles? Creation Ministries International. Available at: https://creation.com/lucy-walking-tall-or-wandering-in-circles.
- Menton, D. and Mitchell, E., 2012. A Look at Lucy’s Legacy, op. cit.
- DeWitt, D.A., 2006. Lucy and Her “Child” Look Like Extinct Apes After All, op. cit.
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