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Course, Subject

Biology/Living Environment, Math, Science & Technology, Science (NYS P-12)

Description

eLucy is a website that will help users to learn about the world's most famous fossil, Lucy, a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis, who lived 3.2 million years ago. Lucy was discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia, and she is unique because over 40% of her skeleton was recovered, making her one of the most complete australopithecine fossils ever found.

The user can view individual bones from Lucy and compare her bone morphology with the anatomy of chimpanzees and modern humans. The site also contains a collection of games and activities for students, as well as lesson plans and suggested activities on human evolution and human origins.

Click here (Lucy) or on the website listed below to begin investigating the fossil.

Click here for the Anatomical Terms and Glossary.

Click here to download a set of life-sized images of the full Lucy skeleton (PDF File).

Website(s)

The eLucy Project

Author

The eSkeletons Project credits:

Created at the University of Texas at Austin by
Principal Investigator: John Kappelman, PhD
Project Manager: Lauri McInnis Martin
Programming/CSS Designer: Stuart Ross

Contributors: Adrienne Witzel, Summer Klein, Rachel Menegaz, Nick Morgan, Sophia Salgado, and Christyna Solhan

Copyrights

Creative Commons

Related Academic Standards

New York State

S.HS.LS.1.1 Students who demonstrate understanding can construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.

S.HS.LS.1.2 Students who demonstrate understanding can develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.

S.HS.LS.2.8 Students who demonstrate understanding can evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.

S.HS.LS.3.1 Students who demonstrate understanding can ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.

MST4.C.LE.LE.2.1 Students explain how the structure and replication of genetic material result in offspring that resemble their parents.

MST4.C.LE.LE.3.1 Students explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

MST5.C.ED.1.2 Students identify, locate, and use a wide range of information resources including subject experts, library references, magazines, videotapes, films, electronic data bases and on-line services, and discuss and document through notes and sketches how findings relate to the problem.