When we look for the origins of all humanity today, let's not just look at Europe, because I think Africa was the cradle, the crucible that created us as Homo sapiens. Donald Johanson africacradlecreate Change image and share on social
Scientists are very afraid of being proven wrong. Donald Johanson afraidprovescientist Change image and share on social
What's changed is we now have good anatomical, geological, archaeological evidence that Neanderthals are not our ancestors. When I wrote 'Lucy,' I considered Neanderthals ancestors of modern humans. We have gone back twice the age of Lucy, six million years. And we see that upright bipedal walking goes back that far in time. Donald Johanson ageanatomicalancestor share on social
What makes us human depends on what place on our evolutionary path we're talking about. If you go back six million years ago, what makes us human is that we were walking upright. That's all. If you go to 2.6 million years ago, it's the fact that we're designing and making stone tools. Donald Johanson agobackdepend share on social
I realized immediately that this was a terribly important discovery, but I didn't realize how important it would be until we had spent a lot of time in the laboratory studying it. Donald Johanson discoveryimmediatelyimportant Change image and share on social
Evolution is a fact. It is the best explanation of what is known from observations. It's a theory as powerful as the theory of gravity. Donald Johanson evolutionexplanationfact Change image and share on social
There have been some friendships lost over this. That's the most difficult for me. I find it very uncomfortable to know that I was at one time close friends with someone, and because of jealousies and misunderstandings and so on, these friendships have dissolved. Donald Johanson closedifficultdissolve share on social
One has to take initiative in life to achieve what he or she wants. Donald Johanson achieveinitiativelife Change image and share on social
I think that many of my ideas are correct, but I'll bet you, before my death other discoveries will be made that will prompt me to alter various ideas I have about human evolution. Donald Johanson alterbetcorrect Change image and share on social
But it really wasn't until three to four years later, when we had an opportunity in the lab to make very detailed observations, and comparisons with other fossil discoveries, that we realized she was a new species of human ancestor. Donald Johanson ancestorcomparisondetail share on social