‘Lucy’ Goes Digital
The Discovery Institute has created a fascinating 3D high-resolution CT scan of the famous “Lucy” fossil (Australopithecus afarensis): Lucy 2.0: Famous Fossil Hominid Goes Digital.
Oops, sorry … did I say “Discovery Institute?” I meant the University of Texas. Everyone knows the Discovery Institute isn’t interested in actually doing scientific research.
Lucy, the world’s most famous fossil human ancestor, has gone digital in 3-D. A new high-resolution CT scan of the 3.2 million-year-old skeleton will provide scientists around the globe with information that may help settle debates about human evolution.
The virtual Lucy could prove invaluable to scientists by giving them their first glimpse inside her fossilized bones. The scans reveal microscopic details of the internal structure of Lucy’s bones and teeth that give clues to how she moved and ate.
“These scans will ensure that future generations are familiar with Lucy,” said Jara Mariam, director general of Ethiopia’s Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, “and will know of Ethiopia’s central contribution to the study of human evolution. A virtual Lucy will be able to visit every classroom on the planet.”
Here’s a 3D view of the fossil’s jawbone:
UPDATE at 2/8/09 11:55:41 am:
If you’re in Seattle, don’t miss the Lucy exhibit at the Pacific Science Center: Lucy’s Legacy. (The Discovery Institute is in Seattle; think they’ll organize a field trip for their “fellows?”)
