Welcome to eLucy.org and eFossils.org!

In order to ensure that you get the most out of this and subsequent visits to this website, please take some time to read through the following information and familiarize yourself with the computer system requirements, navigational help, and other suggestions. If you have any problems using this site or have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.

Site Description:

The eLucy website is dedicated to sharing information about Lucy, an early fossil hominin specimen that is represented by the remains of a relatively complete skeleton. This fossil is 3.2 million years in age and was discovered in Ethiopia. The eLucy site provides an interactive environment in which the user can examine and learn about Lucy by viewing images of her skeleton and completing activities and lessons about human origins and evolution. One can navigate back to the main page at any time by clicking on the eLucy logo found at the top of each page. The main learning areas are accessed via the tabs on the main page.

• Lessons and Activities: a drop-down menu provides a list of available activities that are accessed by clicking on each tab. In addition, all of these activities are available for printing, and this option is especially important for users who may have slow or limited web access. Some users with certain physical or learning disabilities may prefer to use the printouts.
• Comparative Anatomy: users can compare bones from Lucy with those of different species in side-by-side panels and drag one bone over the top of the other bone for a more detailed examination of the differences and similarities. (Additional information about this feature is provided below.)

Tips for viewing the eLucy website:

• Computer settings
  • Your screen resolution should be set to at least 800 x 600 pixels and color quality set at "highest." For best result, set the screen resolution to 1024 x 768 or greater. These parameters can be set in the Display Properties dialog box in the Control Panel (PC) or in the Monitor in the Control Panels (Mac).
  • Because some of the files and applets associated with this site are rather large, it may take a little time for the files to load on your machine. Please be patient! It may appear that your computer is "frozen" but in all likelihood it is just downloading the requested files.
• Interactive programs and Plug-ins
  • eLucy is compatible with Firefox 2.0 or higher, Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, and Safari.
  • Make sure JavaScript is enabled. You can check this setting in the Preferences dialog box under the Edit menu.
  • QuickTime movies require QuickTime 3.0 or higher.
  • VRML files require a VRML Player.

Instructions for Viewing the Comparative Anatomy Photos:

• Photographs are given at the same scale.
• In order to maximize comparability with Lucy, a female specimen was used to represent the human and chimpanzee whenever possible.
• The taxa available for viewing can be switched out by selecting the thumbnail image on the top of the screen.
• Not all of the preserved bones of Lucy, the chimpanzee, and human skeletons are represented.
• Elements and different views of the particular skeletal element are selected from the pull down menu.
• Each element is accompanied by text explaining the significance of relevant morphological features.
• When viewing two images, it is possible to overlay one image on top of the other image. To do so, select one of the two images by clicking on it. Next, hold down the left mouse button and drag the selected image over the top of the other image.

General Information:

The eLucy and eFossils websites are part of the eSkeletons Project and are funded by the College of Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services at the University of Texas at Austin. The purpose of these sites is to enable visitors to view bones and bone casts of fossil hominins, modern humans, and non-human primates, and learn more about human origins and evolution. Activities and lessons are provided to encourage additional study.

Images and content are provided by faculty, staff, and students at the University of Texas. A list of materials referred to during the creation of the site is available in the Bibliography. All photographs, images and text are copyrighted by eFossils, John Kappelman, or the University of Texas at Austin. Further copyrights are provided by Creative Commons. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), The University of Texas at Austin reserves the right to terminate computing services of users who repeatedly infringe upon the rights of copyright owners.