Europe Sees Fossil Legend

The 3.18-million-year-old bone fragments of human ancestor Lucy, which rarely leave Ethiopia, went on display in Prague on Monday, with the Czech prime minister hailing the fossils' first showing in Europe.

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Prague -

The ancient remains of the Australopithecus afarensis were discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. The find was, at the time, the most complete yet made and revolutionized the understanding of humanity's ancestors.

At the Czech National Museum, Lucy's remains are presented alongside Selam, the fossil of a baby Australopithecus who lived about 100,000 years earlier than Lucy and was found in the same place 25 years later.

The fossils lent by Ethiopia's National Museum in Addis Ababa landed in Prague on 15 August, under stringent security.

"Both skeletons rank among the most precious exhibits of the global heritage," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.