In pursuit of knowledge, the evolution of humanity ranks with the origins of life and the universe. And yet, except when an exciting find hits the headlines, paleoanthropology and its related fields have gained far less scientific support and funding—particularly for scientists and institutions based in the African countries where so many landmark discoveries have occurred.

The 3.2-million-year-old fossil, discovered 50 years ago, is considered to be one of the most significant early hominin specimens.

The thinking of early theorists was that our evolution was a coordinated, linear process. Our ancestors’ brains grew steadily larger as they started walking on two legs and standing taller until they became modern human — Homo sapiens.

Paleontologists unearthed the iconic fossil in 1974. Today, her legacy remains just as much cultural as it is scientific.