When first discovered in 1994, fossils of Australopithecus anamensis showed that human ancestors undeniably walked on two legs at least 4 million years ago. This species is often called “Lucy’s ancestor”, which refers to the famed skeleton of the later species Australopithecus afarensis nicknamed “Lucy”. In 2019, the face of Australopithecus anamensis was finally revealed in a nearly complete fossil cranium. The shape of its face is similar to that of Lucy’s species, but projects further forward. Its brain is about the same size as a chimpanzee’s. Compared to modern humans, it had large teeth and large cheekbones.

Published in the journal Nature August 29, 2019, by Yohannes Haile-Selassie and colleagues.