But along with other findings like the Taung Child, Lucy offered hint at some of the earliest of humanity's recognisable ancestors. Animals were usually killed by predators and then eaten by scavengers, but there seems to be none of the marks that would indicate that happened. (The actual hotel was in a nearby building, not inside the elephant.). 'Donald Johanson is the paleoanthropologist who found Lucy's remains in the Hadar area of central Ethiopia. During the dry season, elephants use their tusks to … Who discovered Lucy, and why were we so excited? Lucy stands 20 meters high. But understanding human origins remains complex - there is no straight and continuous line, making it difficult to identify the evolutionary foundations of modern humans. It held a cigar store in one leg and a diorama in another, hotel rooms within the elephant proper, and an observation area at the top with panoramic sea views. It marked the first time Lucy had been inhabited by humans since it was rented as a home in the early 1900s. During that return journey, Johanson spotted a forearm bone, identified it — and then kept looking, where the two found a huge set of bones that would eventually represent 40 per cent of the entire skeleton. The building was depicted on many souvenir postcards, often referred to as "The Elephant Hotel of Atlantic City." When Did the Early Humans Acquire a Mind? Are you sure you want to delete this comment? It is a humongous statue of an elephant. The fossilised skeleton was found in 1974, in Ethiopia. They are also keystone species, playing an important role in maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystems in which they live. One of the most important things about Lucy is the way she walked. Their role can neither be replaced or played by any other species, which is why organizations around the world have been working hard for decades to protect these creatures and ensure their survival! That likely means that she was a mature but young adult — but scientists are unable to say exactly. [6] The shape of Lucy's head is characteristic of an Asian Elephant, and male elephants have tusks. The 1974 find would forever change humanity's understanding of where our species came from and how Homo sapiens evolved. Lucy the Australopithecus afarensis, a fossilised skeleton found 41 years ago, is being commemorated by the Google Doodle. He employed Philadelphia architects William Free and J. Mason Kirby for the design. Today, Lucy is the oldest surviving roadside tourist attraction in America. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Moreover, as the scientific research and analysis has become more intensive and introspective, the fossils are revealing actual life histories. [6][7][8], Initially named "Elephant Bazaar", the structure stands at 65 feet (19.7 m) in height, 60 feet (18.3 m) in length, and 18 feet (5.5 m) in width and weighs about 90 tons. Lafferty funded the design and construction of his first elephant-shaped building at South Atlantic City, now called Margate. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall near Margate. And it is in the geology dated to this period of time in the Afar region of Ethiopia, as well as other regions of eastern Africa, where current excavations are being carried out, to relate Australopithecus with Homo. In 1969, Edwin T. Carpenter and a group of Margate citizens formed the Margate Civic Association, which later became the Save Lucy Committee under Josephine Harron and Sylvia Carpenter. The discovery was so important because it entirely upset our understanding of the process of evolution. [12][13], The Elephantine Colossus or Elephant Hotel, at Coney Island amusement park in Brooklyn, New York, stood 122 feet (37.2 m) tall, approximately twice the size of Lucy, with seven floors of rooms, and legs 60 feet in circumference. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. An online article by Deborah Netburn in the Los Angeles Times - Discoverer of Lucy skeleton hopes to find what made us human - celebrates the 40th anniversary this month of the discovery of Lucy, the partial skeleton of an ape-like creature that walked upright 3.5 million years ago. They were given a 30-day deadline to move the edifice or pay for its demolition. [9] The howdah offers unique views of Margate, Atlantic City's skyline, the beach, and the Atlantic Ocean and it serves as an observation deck for modern day visitors during tours. Initially, the elephant was referred to as a male, but eventually became commonly known as a female. The oldest Homo evidence is from 2.3 million years ago. Originally, Lafferty brought potential real estate customers to view parcels of land from Lucy's howdah (carriage). 1 pit of the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, on the outskirts of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in June 2010. It's also not entirely clear how she died. WHYY’s Joe Hernandez explains why the pachyderm is still so beloved. Lucy the Elephant is a monument in Margate, NJ. She would go on to become one of the most important finds of recent years — not simply because of her upending of our understanding of the process of evolution, but also because she became a household name. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. It was not successful and was torn down within 16 years. Originally named Elephant Bazaar, Lucy was built to promote real estate sales and attract tourists. [4], In 1881, the U.S. Patent Office granted James V. Lafferty a patent giving him the exclusive right to make, use or sell animal-shaped buildings for a duration of seventeen years. Anton's daughter-in-law, Sophia Gertzen, reportedly dubbed the structure "Lucy the Elephant" in 1902. 'The features that distinguish us from all other animals are symbolic language, our cooperation, and a culture that allows us to make cumulative developments that no single individual could make alone.'. [11] In 2016, Lucy had 135,000 visitors at the site, 35,000 of whom took the guided tour. Genetic distance of Neanderthals & humans, Altai Neanderthals trapped & hunted golden eagles, Neanderthals used flowers in mortuary rituals, Neanderthals dived for shells to make tools, Graffiti Dates and Names as a Rock Art Conservation and Management Tool. Lucy the Australopithecus afarensis, a fossilised skeleton found 41 years ago, is being commemorated by the Google Doodle, Read more How Lucy the Australopithecus showed big problem with 'Ascent of Man', You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. On July 20, 1970, the 90-ton elephant was hoisted onto a truck. Various fund-raising events, the most successful a door-to-door canvass by volunteers, raised money. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Inset: Location of Atlantic County within New Jersey. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Lucy was constructed with nearly one million pieces of wood, and required 200 kegs of nails, 4 tons of bolts and iron bars; 12,000 square feet of tin covers the exterior. References. The oldest roadside attraction in the United States has withstood natural disasters and threats of demolition, but she’s still attracting thousands to the Jersey Shore every summer. Every July 20, the building's birthday is celebrated with children's games and much fanfare. Prospectus for 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Barnum and Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth, National Register of Historic Places listings in Atlantic County, New Jersey, "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Atlantic County", New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, "Elephants Never Forget — And At 6 Stories Tall, This One's Unforgettable", "Walkabout: J. Mason Kirby – Brooklyn's Elephant Architect | Brownstoner", Walkabout: J. Mason Kirby – Brooklyn’s Elephant Architect, "Historic landmark 'Lucy the Elephant' survived Sandy", "Lucy The Elephant: Now Listed Only On Airbnb", "New Airbnb Listing: A 65-Foot-Tall Landmark Named Lucy the Elephant", Press of Atlantic City: Forgotten History, "TheKidsMagic - Mr. Rogers Episode #1570", "The Forgotten Elephant of the Moulin Rouge Garden Party", The Travel Channel's Monumental Mysteries featuring Lucy, "House Built Like Elephant Contains Six Rooms", December 1932, Popular Mechanics, Margate Elephant, Atlantic Avenue & Decatur Street, Margate City, Atlantic County, NJ, Bethlehem Loading Company Mays Landing Plant Archeological Historic District, List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucy_the_Elephant&oldid=979435620, Buildings and structures in Atlantic County, New Jersey, National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey, Tourist attractions in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey, National Register of Historic Places in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
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