COLLECTIONS
Bone Home

Nestled among the treasures at the Institute of Human Origins is a replica of one of the biggest anthropological finds of the last century, the skeleton of a hominid (human-like creature) known as "Lucy". Discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 by institute founder and director Donal Johanson, Lucy's skeleton is 3.2 million years old.

The institute, founded in 1981, is part of ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change. It's collection covers the broad sweep of human evolution, from humanity's earliest Australopithecus ancestors (such as Lucy), through later-appearing relatives such as Homo erectus, the Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. In addition to replicas of Lucy's skeleton, the institute also houses a large library of images of human fossils from around the world.

More information about the work of the Institute of Human Origins is available by visiting http://asu.edu/clas/iha/.