The Original Rock Star
We went to New York this past weekend, and I had the nerd moment of all nerd moments while driving into the city.
We’re coming down the Cross-Bronx Expressway on our way to get lost in the Greek section, and what do I see but a 10,000 ft. billboard of the oldest, deadest monkey you’ve ever seen in your life. “Lucy’s Legacy”, an exhibit of Ethiopian and evolutionary history, was running at the Discovery Times Square Expo.
“LUCY!!” I shouted and pointed.
“Oh! Lucy! Well why didn’t you say!”
Who the frick is Lucy, you ask?
Lucy - also known as Dinkanesh, or Australopithecus afarensis for you really technical knobs - is the best-preserved fossil and best-known example of the bridge between “monkeys” and “people”. Lucy was discovered in Ethiopia in the early 1960’s, looking remarkably fresh-faced for a girl who had been in the ground for 3.2 million years, give or take.
I was giddy… and I mean stupidly nerdfaced giddy over the chance to see a piece of history that I’d only read about in my ancient studies classes. She is technically the property of the Ethiopian government, on special loan for a tour around the US before heading back to her native soil, supposedly forever. She’s around until October 24th if you’d like to go see her.
My favorite tidbit on Lucy is how she came by her name. As the story goes, the team of scientists tasked with cleaning and studying Lucy were listening to the then-brand-new “Sgt. Pepper’s” album by the Beatles. Lucy is named after the track “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”. Bring that one to your next cocktail party. You’ll slay with that bit of trivia. Better yet, successfully use Australopithecus afarensis (OSS-tra-low-PITH-ick-us aff-ah-REN-sis) in a sentence… you’ll drive the archaeology groupies wild.
Even though my mother looked at Lucy and said “Hm. Yup. Looks like a bunch of dead monkey bones to me” in front of the mildly amused curator, meeting Lucy in the umm… err… flesh was quite as awesome as I’d hoped it would be!
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