3D reconstruction reveals the secrets of our grandfather Lucy

The model indicates that Lucy could walk upright like us, but she was also able to live in trees.

new Stady Published in the Royal Society OpenScience reports the use of 3D modeling software Reconstruction of the fossil muscles 3.2 million years from our ancestor Lucy.

Models show that Lucy is kind Australopithecus afarensisHe has strong leg and pelvic muscles Help cling to trees and the muscles in the knees that allowed him to walk upright.

“Hey Australopithecus afarensis It may have roamed the open wooded grassland areas as well as the denser forests of East Africa some 3 to 4 million years ago. Lucy’s muscle reconstructions indicate that she was capable of this Explore both habitats explains paleoanthropologist and study author Ashley Weisman.

Lucy’s fossil was discovered in the 1970s. Although the possibility that she could actually walk is generally accepted in the scientific community, debate continues as to whether this bipedal walking was more oscillating chimpanzee-style or something similar to the upright walking seen in modern humans. write the Science alert.

Weismann used state-of-the-art computer modeling tools to reconstruct the soft tissues that did not hold together with the fossil. Beginning with what we know about living human bone and muscle structures, the scientist worked backwards, looking for clues in fossil AL 288-1, including its dimensions, structure and the marks left by muscles where they attach to bone.

The muscles generated by the models show that Lucy will be able to stand upright. rebuilt 36 muscles in each leglarger than their counterparts in modern humans.

“Lucy’s musculature suggests that she was as adept at walking on two legs as we are, although she may also have been at home in the trees. Lucy may have walked and moved in some way.” We don’t see any living species today.”he adds.

It is the first time that the soft tissue of a human ancestor has been reconstructed in this way, but it is unlikely to be the last, as the same modeling technique could be used for other fossils.