--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did…" description: "\"When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an opportunity to name this new species, I realized t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d7/donald-johanson-16932_ancestors_when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-re_351474.png" --- # When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new… ![“When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an opportunity to name this new species, I realized this was a revolutionary step in understanding human origins.” quote by Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d7/donald-johanson-16932_ancestors_when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-re_351474.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d7/donald-johanson-16932_ancestors_when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-re_351474.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d7/donald-johanson-16932_ancestors_when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-re_351474.png) > “When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an opportunity to name this new species, I realized this was a revolutionary step in understanding human origins.” [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Naming a new hominin species marked a breakthrough in paleoanthropology, reshaping our view of human ancestry. **In simple terms:** A new species name changed our understanding of human evolution. Key Takeaway Embrace scientific discovery. Themes science evolution discovery Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type historical educational When to use this quote - museum exhibits - academic conferences - educational curricula Key Concepts taxonomy anthropology human origins Questions to Reflect On - What impact does naming have on scientific narratives? - How do new discoveries reshape cultural identity? A Different Perspective Naming can be controversial and may reflect biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1978 Lucy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1978-lucy-3245106/) [Ancestors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestors/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-ancestor-3245107/) [Human Origins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-origins-337549/) [Lucy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucy/) [Lucy Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucy-did-1316671/) [Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/name/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Origins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/origins/) [Realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized/) [Represent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/represent/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) [Species Realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species-realized-2722018/) [Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [I find a tremendous receptivity among the public for the subject matter of, 'Where did we come from and how did we get here?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/i-find-a-tremendous-receptivity-among-the-public-for-the-subject/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/but-it-really-wasn-t-until-three-to-four-years-later-when-we-had-an/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [“We as a species have not realized the most precious qualities with which nature has endowed us, the abilities that will enable us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/we-as-a-species-have-not-realized-the-most-precious-qualities-with/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“I felt that I admired you, but I told myself it was only friendship; and till I began to make comparisons between yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-felt-that-i-admired-you-but-i-told-myself-it-was-only-friendship/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Lucy had no wish to entertain that gentleman. None at all. It was not that Lucy did not wish to marry Mr. Olson, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-liss/lucy-had-no-wish-to-entertain-that-gentleman-none-at-all-it-was-not/) [David Liss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-liss/) > [Yes, the natural sciences are telling us a great deal about human origins, the origins of our species the origins of our minds; we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/yes-the-natural-sciences-are-telling-us-a-great-deal-about-human/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [To prevent discussion of any other explanations of human origins is hardly what I would expect from open-minded educators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/to-prevent-discussion-of-any-other-explanations-of-human-origins-is/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [“THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF ALL TIME… THE HISTORY OF HUMAN ORIGINS… WILL BE REVEALED. 70,000 years ago, the human race almost went extinct. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-riddle/the-greatest-mystery-of-all-time-the-history-of-human-origins-will-be/) [A.G. Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-riddle/) > [When we look for the origins of all humanity today, let's not just look at Europe, because I think Africa was the cradle, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/when-we-look-for-the-origins-of-all-humanity-today-let-s-not-just/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [From an early age, I had the idea that writing was truth-telling. It's on the record. Everybody can see it. Maybe it goes back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/from-an-early-age-i-had-the-idea-that-writing-was-truth-telling-it-s/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [I'm not sure the Russians would be happy that their iconic wooly mammoth has North American origins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-poinar/i-m-not-sure-the-russians-would-be-happy-that-their-iconic-wooly/) [Hendrik Poinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-poinar/) > [When the 2008 victory of Barack Obama and the defeat of grumpy old John McCain began looking, um, inevitable, I started fielding inquiries about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/when-the-2008-victory-of-barack-obama-and-the-defeat-of-grumpy-old/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [“Yes indeed, both Muslim and Jewish!I, her father, am Muslim, at least on paper; her mother is Jewish, at least in theory. With us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amin-maalouf/yes-indeed-both-muslim-and-jewish-i-her-father-am-muslim-at-least-on/) [Amin Maalouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amin-maalouf/) > [Being authentic can be a good thing in that often people who are fixated on that are also fixated on having very high standards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-meyer/being-authentic-can-be-a-good-thing-in-that-often-people-who-are/) [Edgar Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-meyer/) > [“Be like the koru; as you go forward into the forever-changing future, always remain faithful to the point of origin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lola/be-like-the-koru-as-you-go-forward-into-the-forever-changing-future/) [Lauren Lola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lola/) ## More by Donald Johanson > [My real father died when I was two years old, so I never knew him. He was a barber in Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/my-real-father-died-when-i-was-two-years-old-so-i-never-knew-him-he/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/but-what-really-excited-me-was-the-idea-that-humans-had-a-tremendous/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [You don't just magically flip some evolutionary switch somewhere and transmute a quadruped into an upright-walking bipedal human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/you-don-t-just-magically-flip-some-evolutionary-switch-somewhere-and/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [We are placed in the genus of Homo, which is Latin for man - Homo sapiens: supposedly wise men. I sometimes think - wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/we-are-placed-in-the-genus-of-homo-which-is-latin-for-man-homo/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [Journalists often ask me when I go to the field, 'What do you expect to find?' And my answer always is, 'The unexpected,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/journalists-often-ask-me-when-i-go-to-the-field-what-do-you-expect-to/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [I find a tremendous receptivity among the public for the subject matter of, 'Where did we come from and how did we get here?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/i-find-a-tremendous-receptivity-among-the-public-for-the-subject/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [Evolution explains our biological evolution, but human beings are very unique creatures. As the Dobzhansky said, all animals are unique; humans are the uniquest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/evolution-explains-our-biological-evolution-but-human-beings-are-very/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [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.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/in-our-case-finding-a-lucy-is-unique-no-one-will-ever-find-another/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [Most Achievers I Know Are People Who Have Made A Strong And Deep Dedication to Pursuing A Particular Goal. That Dedication Took A Tremendous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/most-achievers-i-know-are-people-who-have-made-a-strong-and-deep/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/evolution-is-a-fact-it-is-the-best-explanation-of-what-is-known-from/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [It's very hard for all of us, when we've committed ourselves to a particular interpretation, to change our minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/it-s-very-hard-for-all-of-us-when-we-ve-committed-ourselves-to-a/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [This was the most important discovery I had ever made in my life. It was a discovery which has irrevocably changed my whole life's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/this-was-the-most-important-discovery-i-had-ever-made-in-my-life-it/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [What's changed is we now have good anatomical, geological, archaeological evidence that Neanderthals are not our ancestors. When I wrote 'Lucy,' I considered Neanderthals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/what-s-changed-is-we-now-have-good-anatomical-geological/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [What makes us human depends on what place on our evolutionary path we're talking about. If you go back six million years ago, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/what-makes-us-human-depends-on-what-place-on-our-evolutionary-path-we/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [When we look for the origins of all humanity today, let's not just look at Europe, because I think Africa was the cradle, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/when-we-look-for-the-origins-of-all-humanity-today-let-s-not-just/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) [Explore all 38 Donald Johanson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) ## More Ancestors quotes > [The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who... looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-wright/the-desire-to-fly-is-an-idea-handed-down-to-us-by-our-ancestors-who/) [Wilbur Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-wright/) > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We pay for the mistakes of our ancestors, and it seems only fair that they should leave us the money to pay with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/we-pay-for-the-mistakes-of-our-ancestors-and-it-seems-only-fair-that/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [It has been said that a man of genius should select his ancestors with great care - and yet there does not seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/it-has-been-said-that-a-man-of-genius-should-select-his-ancestors/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Most of us do more than subsist. From the vantage point of our ancestors, we live lives of almost unimaginable ease. Here again, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/most-of-us-do-more-than-subsist-from-the-vantage-point-of-our/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-look-deeply-into-the-palm-of-your-hand-you-will-see-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You are the fairy tale told by your ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/you-are-the-fairy-tale-told-by-your-ancestors/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [...I write to keep in contact with our ancestors and to spread truth to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sanchez/i-write-to-keep-in-contact-with-our-ancestors-and-to-spread-truth-to/) [Sonia Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sanchez/) > [“Each of us is the product of history. Our lives today are evidence that our ancestors survived unbelievable odds stretching back to prehistory. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wheldon/each-of-us-is-the-product-of-history-our-lives-today-are-evidence/) [Laura Wheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wheldon/) > [Do we have to give Mr Sarkozy a history lesson? Yes, there are Gauls among our ancestors. But there are also Romans, Normans, Celts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najat-vallaud-belkacem/do-we-have-to-give-mr-sarkozy-a-history-lesson-yes-there-are-gauls/) [Najat Vallaud-Belkacem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najat-vallaud-belkacem/) > [As a woman of color, I always pay homage to my ancestors and elders - in the industry in particular - who have paved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/as-a-woman-of-color-i-always-pay-homage-to-my-ancestors-and-elders-in/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [“Each of us, along with our ancestors, inhabits the same cosmos. When we tell stories, we enter the stream of human consciousness; we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/each-of-us-along-with-our-ancestors-inhabits-the-same-cosmos-when-we/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) [Browse all 443 Ancestors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an opportunity to name this new species, I realized this was a revolutionary step in understanding human origins.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Johanson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-represent-a-new-species-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancestors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-represent-a-new-species-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d7/donald-johanson-16932_ancestors_when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-re_351474.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d7/donald-johanson-16932_ancestors_when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-re_351474.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d7/donald-johanson-16932_ancestors_when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-re_351474.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an…” — Donald Johanson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Donald Johanson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I realized, in 1978, that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-represent-a-new-species-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/when-i-realized-in-1978-that-lucy-did-represent-a-new-species-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```