For the first time, we now have a glimpse of what Lucy — one of the most famous ancestors of modern humans — might have looked like over 3 million years ago.

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This reconstruction helps fill in the visual story of our evolution — connecting us, quite literally, face-to-face with our past.

Who is Lucy?

Discovered in Ethiopia in 1975, Lucy is a 3.5-foot tall primate of the species Australopithecus afarensis.

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Named after the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Lucy's nearly complete skeleton offered the first solid proof that our early relatives walked upright on two legs — long before our brains became large.

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Hers was the most intact early hominin ever found. Before her, it was theorized that a larger brain was needed to walk upright.

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Lucy's face revealed

Now, thanks to forensic facial reconstruction, an international team of scientists have used 3D scans of her skull, along with soft tissue data from chimpanzees (who have similar-sized brains to the Australopithecus afarensis), to rebuild her face.

"Seeing Lucy's face is like glimpsing at a bridge to the distant past, offering a visual connection to human evolution, said Cicero Moraes, a world leader in forensic facial reconstruction software.

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"The reconstruction, blending science and art, allows us to imagine what she might have looked like 3.2 million years ago, enriching both public and scientific understanding of our ancestors," he added.

"Its a reflection of technological progress that makes an extinct being tangible," noted Moraes.

The reconstructed face is a fascinating blend of human and ape features. Lucy's face, as per the reconstruction was flatter than chimpanzees with a smaller brow ridge and a jaw that's not fully human, but not fully ape either.

"It has a less pronounced brow ridge than in chimpanzees, though still distinct from modern humans," said Moraes.

It is believed that she had dark skin and hair: "The artistic version shows dark skin and hair, inspired by palaeoanthropological descriptions suggesting adaptation to the hot Ethiopian environment of 3.2 million years ago".

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Lucy's brain was only about 391 cubic centimetres — similar to a chimpanzee's and much smaller than today's average human brain of about 1,350 cc. But despite this, she was already walking on two legs — a game-changing discovery when her skeleton was first found. Her brain, as per The Telegraph, was closer to a chimpanzee's than a human's.

Her upper body had features suited to climbing trees, while her legs and pelvis were built for walking upright. This shows that she lived between two worlds: part tree-dweller, part upright walker.

Lucy likely died between the ages of 12 and 18, possibly from a fall from a tree.

Her remains will be put on display in Europe for the first time this summer, at Prague's National Museum in August.

(With inputs from agencies)