Lucy in East Africa at 3.2 (Musical Study Guide)

As a teaching assistant, I made this video to help students studying australopith(ecine)s try to keep straight some of the key points to know. The general point of view is that of an Australopithecus afarensis, like Lucy, and the dates referenced are in millions of years. I just want to mention a couple other things:

1. If somehow you don't know the song, it's the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and it's what the A. afarensis specimen Lucy was named after when she was discovered by Don Johanson in the 1970s. So it seemed appropriate to make up my own lame lyrics to the song, but I encourage anyone trying to study anything to make up their own songs. It makes for an excellent mnemonic device, and just the act of working on it helps cement the info in your head.
2. The information used in said lame lyrics is accurate as far as what my particular university teaches in the introductory human evolution class, so it's pretty basic. And the images, of course, are in many cases artistic reconstructions that I included because I think it's fascinating to imagine what they'd have looked and acted like. (Also, I cheated on the foramen magnum picture because I couldn't find an australopith one -- it's a modern human, but the australopithecine foramen magnum is centered enough to indicate bipedality.)
3. As a science/human evolution-related post, I cringe a little bit at the thought of the creationism vs. evolution sniping that could happen. I've watched enough videos on YouTube to know that even the most irrelevant videos can end up having such mud-slinging battles in the comments. Please don't use that kind of aggression here. Obviously, I personally believe that evolution was and is happening, but I respect other points of view and I'll never question anyone's intelligence for disagreeing with me. Additionally - in my mind, there is no reason faith and science can't get along, yet I see so many debates where people choose sides. There is no reason you must be forced to choose a side! If that's what you honestly deeply believe, then okay, but sometimes I think people on both "sides" really need to work on thinking for themselves.
4. Finally, this is my first ever attempt at using Movie Maker and creating what amounts to a glorified slide show, so apologies if it doesn't meet the quality standards of all the kids who can use technology like MacGyver uses duct tape and paper clips. :) (Ask your parents.)

Good luck!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• anthropology
• paleoanthropology
• human
• evolution
• australopithecine
• paranthropus
• lucy
• afarensis
• africanus
• robustus
• boisei

[PS2freak11223]

YEAH K!!!

This makes me think that we were all monkeys once...

and yet we probably weren't...

awesome video though...

[Siamangutan]

Well we weren't all monkeys, but we are part of a lineage that descended from something very much like a modern chimp, which is an ape (as are we) - so "we came from monkeys" isn't quite an accurate way to think of it, but we are very closely related and humans are a very interestingly evolved primate. :)

[phboujon]

Very cool and informative video! Great choice of soundtrack, and Lucy's pictures. I got to say, Lucy's looking pretty good for a 3.2 million year old woman.

[seanymphfreedom]

no. but her ancestor was.

[SuperDogbrown]

interesting video and very informative

[rodswebdesign]

This is a great video

[shoppittsburghnow]

Very enjoyable thank you

[ishamar039]

@whitewolfwithblackSP lmaoooo we are both going through the same thing XD!!!

[whitewolfwithblackSP]

@ishamar039 oh my gosh earth science is the best lol I just believe that God created evolution. :P Cause I've seen too much of God to doubt him, and I've seen too much of evolution to doubt it lol

[ishamar039]

@whitewolfwithblackSP I'm a christian too.. but it' kind of hard to figure out which one it's true or not.. even thoe I believe in what the bible says, earth science is soo fucking interesting for me

[EdXXI]

Creio que a mudança de posição do foramen magnum foi a mutação original que levou ao Homo Sapiens

I think that when the foramen magnum changed it's position , that was the original genetic mutation wich led to Homo Sapiens .

[whitewolfwithblackSP]

Lol I love singing this! Great job!

[whitewolfwithblackSP]

@ishamar039 I am a Christian, but I beleive in evolution. I'm beyond proud to be a great ape! <3

[sammysnakejones]

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