Lucy, Our Human Ancestor, Was Hairless, Study Finds

Fifty years ago, scientists found a nearly completely fossilized skull and hundreds of bone pieces belonging to a 3.2-million-year-old female of the species Australopithecus afarensis. She’s often called “the mother of us all.” During a celebration, they named her “Lucy” after a Beatles song.

While Lucy has helped solve evolutionary mysteries, her exact appearance is still unknown. Artistic portrayals imagine her covered in thick, reddish-brown fur, with her face, hands, feet, and breasts visible through the dense hair, as reported by Live Science.

Lucy might have been hairless

Recent advances in genetic analysis indicate Lucy might have been hairless or at the very least had much less body hair than previously believed.

Based on research on human evolution and lice, our ancestors likely lost much of their body hair between 3 to 4 million years ago and did not begin wearing clothes until much later—between 83,000 to 170,000 years ago.

This suggests that for over 2.5 million years, early humans and their ancestors lived without bodily protection from garments, relying solely on their natural bodies.

The reduction of body hair in early humans was probably influenced by several factors, such as regulating body temperature, slower physical growth, attracting mates, and preventing parasites. Environmental, social, and cultural factors likely played roles in the eventual use of clothing.

Research into when and why early humans lost their body hair, as well as when and why they began wearing clothing, highlights the significant energy needed to support a large brain, which develops slowly over years. This brain growth required more energy compared to other parts of the body, according to Live Science.

Lucy has never been shown naked

Irrespective of how much fur she had, Lucy was not depicted as naked. Since her discovery, Lucy has been portrayed in ways that reflect historical ideas about motherhood and family. She is often shown alone with a male partner or with a partner and children. Her facial expressions are affectionate and caring, portraying an idealized image of motherhood.

Critics argue that modern attempts to visualize our ancient ancestors can sometimes be seen as a form of “erotic fantasy science,” influenced by romanticized notions of relationships between men and women, as reported by Live Science.

One of the co-authors of Visual Depictions, sculptor Gabriel Vinas, provides a unique interpretation of Lucy’s reconstruction in his marble sculpture titled Santa Lucia. Lucy is portrayed as a nude figure covered in translucent cloth, reflecting both the artist’s uncertainties and the mysterious nature of Lucy’s appearance.

This depiction of a veiled Lucy raises questions about the intertwined concepts of nudity, covering, sexuality, and societal attitudes towards these. It also positions Lucy as a symbol of purity, similar to a veiled virgin, revered for her perceived sexual innocence, according to Live Science.