How tall was Lucy (AL 288-1)? Stature estimates
Lucy (AL 288-1): estimated stature 3 ft 5.5 in (105 cm).
When: about 3.2 million years ago (Will, Pablos and Stock, 2017). See every group on the timeline.
An estimate from skeletal remains, not a measured living height.
The fossil behind the figure
Lucy, catalogued as AL 288-1, is several hundred pieces of fossil bone: about 40% of the skeleton of one female Australopithecus afarensis. Donald Johanson’s team found her in 1974 at Hadar, in Ethiopia’s Afar region. The original bones are kept at the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, which displays a replica.
Her height is a reconstruction from those bones, so published figures differ: the 2017 compilation behind this page gives about 105 cm (3 ft 5.5 in), and Wikipedia’s article gives 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in).
What the estimate describes
| Sample | Population | Year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucy (AL 288-1) | One fossil individual | About 3.2 million years ago; estimate compiled in 2017 | stature estimated from skeletal remains | Will, Pablos and Stock, 2017 |
1 stature estimate in this reference.
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