But it really wasn't until three to four years later, when we had an opportunity in the lab to make very detailed observations, and comparisons with other fossil discoveries, that we realized she was a new species of human ancestor. — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
I realized immediately that this was a terribly important discovery, but I didn't realize how important it would be until we had spent a lot of time in the laboratory studying it. — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
My real father died when I was two years old, so I never knew him. He was a barber in Chicago. — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
But what really excited me was the idea that humans had a tremendous pre-history that went back millions of years. I wanted to go… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
You don't just magically flip some evolutionary switch somewhere and transmute a quadruped into an upright-walking bipedal human. — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
We are placed in the genus of Homo, which is Latin for man - Homo sapiens: supposedly wise men. I sometimes think - wonder… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an opportunity to name this… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
Journalists often ask me when I go to the field, 'What do you expect to find?' And my answer always is, 'The unexpected,' because… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
I find a tremendous receptivity among the public for the subject matter of, 'Where did we come from and how did we get here?'… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
Evolution explains our biological evolution, but human beings are very unique creatures. As the Dobzhansky said, all animals are unique; humans are the uniquest.… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
In our case, finding a Lucy is unique. No one will ever find another Lucy. You can't order one from a biological supply house.… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
Most Achievers I Know Are People Who Have Made A Strong And Deep Dedication to Pursuing A Particular Goal. That Dedication Took A Tremendous… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
Evolution is a fact. It is the best explanation of what is known from observations. It's a theory as powerful as the theory of… — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
It's very hard for all of us, when we've committed ourselves to a particular interpretation, to change our minds. — Donald Johanson Copy Share Image
