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Lucy the Australopithecus — Reading Comprehension

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This engaging, audio-integrated reading passage, "Lucy the Australopithecus: Walking Upright," introduces students to a pivotal figure in human evolution. Students will learn about Lucy, a famous fossil, and the scientific ideas behind bipedalism – the ability to walk on two legs. The passage, designed for Grade 6, explores anatomical similarities and differences in modern and fossil organisms, directly addressing NGSS standard MS-LS4-2. It defines key terms like Australopithecus and hominins, and provides a foundation for understanding how scientists infer evolutionary relationships from fossil evidence. Activities include multiple-choice questions, a glossary, and short answer questions.

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australopithecus -Lucy — The Lucy fossil and reconstruction

Imagine a world millions of years ago, long before humans as we know them existed. In this ancient landscape, a small creature, no taller than a modern 7-year-old, walked on two legs. This creature was Lucy, a famous Australopithecus. Her discovery changed how we understand our own family tree and the amazing journey of human evolution.

Lucy’s story began in 1974 when scientists found her fossilized remains in Ethiopia. She isn't a complete skeleton, but enough bones were found to give us incredible clues. Scientists named her Lucy after the Beatles song 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.' She lived about 3.2 million years ago.

One of the most exciting things about Lucy is what her bones tell us about bipedalism – the ability to walk upright on two legs. While other apes mostly knuckle-walk or spend time in trees, Lucy’s pelvis and leg bones clearly show she walked like us. Her knee joint locked, her hip bones flared out, and her big toe wasn't opposable like a thumb. These anatomical similarities to modern humans are strong evidence of this crucial ability.

Walking upright had huge advantages. It freed up her hands to carry food, use simple tools, or care for young. It also allowed her to see over tall grasses, helping her spot predators or find distant food sources. This unique way of moving helped her ancestors survive and thrive in changing environments, making Lucy an important link in understanding our early hominin relatives.

Studying fossils like Lucy helps scientists piece together the puzzle of life on Earth. By comparing her bones to other fossil organisms and to modern humans, we can infer evolutionary relationships. We learn how different species are connected and how traits, like walking upright, developed over millions of years. Lucy shows us that walking on two legs came before the development of large brains, challenging earlier ideas about human evolution.

Interesting Fact: Lucy’s scientific name is Australopithecus afarensis, which means "southern ape from Afar," referring to the region in Ethiopia where she was found.

What year were Lucy's remains discovered?

1974198019652000

How long ago did Lucy live?

1 million years3.2 million years500,000 years10 million years

True or False: Lucy's discovery provided evidence for bipedalism.

TrueFalse

What does 'bipedalism' mean?

Walking on four legsLiving in treesWalking on two legsEating only plants

Which of these was NOT an advantage of bipedalism for Lucy?

Carrying foodSpotting predatorsClimbing trees fasterUsing simple tools

What did Lucy's bones reveal about walking upright?

Opposable big toeKnuckle-walking abilityLocked knee jointSmall hip bones