One of the most accomplished scholars of human origins in our time, Johanson has produced some of the field's groundbreaking discoveries, including the most widely known and thoroughly studied fossil of the 20th century—the Lucy skeleton.

Although the 20th century has been peppered with important early-human fossil finds, it was Johanson's 1974 discovery of a 3.2-million-year-old fossil in Ethiopia that added a crucial link. Lucy, as the skeleton was called, prompted major revisions in our understanding of the human evolutionary past and continues to serve as an important touchstone for all subsequent discoveries.

Johanson has led expeditions in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the Middle East. His efforts have reached across multiple media—hosting and narrating the Emmy nominated PBS/NOVA series In Search of Human Origins, authoring six books, developing the award-winning science website, Becoming Human, and lecturing at universities, corporations, and public forums.

He founded and directs the Institute of Human Origins, a human-evolution think tank, at Arizona State University. Driven by a notion that we cannot fully grasp who we are and where we are headed as a species until we have a more complete knowledge of our evolutionary roots, Johanson is a passionate and provocative speaker who draws rave reviews.

The Origins of Humankind: The View From Africa
Numerous new African finds are prompting revisions in the number of species in our past and substantiating Darwin's hunch that Africa was the cradle of humankind.

Lucy's Legacy
Johanson shares Lucy's discovery in 1974 and explores the lessons learned from looking at humanity through the lens of time.

Olduvai Gorge: Myth and Reality
Work at Olduvai Gorge spawned a variety of ideas about how our early ancestors lived nearly two million years ago. Johanson reviews recent research and challenges a number of those ideas.

Neandertals: Are They Losing Their Grip on the Family Tree?
Join Johanson in the debate about whether the Neandertal belongs on the human family tree.