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.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
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.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
I was aware of it, but I grew up in a very a-religious family. My mother never went to church, she never had any religious training or background. It was never a part of our social interaction.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
As an undergraduate, I had an opportunity to go on a number of archeological digs. So I had experience excavating, digging up remains of ancient Indian villages in the Midwest and in the Southwest.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an opportunity to name this new species, I realized this was a revolutionary step in understanding human origins.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
This was the most important discovery I had ever made in my life. It was a discovery which has irrevocably changed my whole life's direction. It immediately elevated me to the status of one of the world's leading anthropologists.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
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.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
When the first fossils began to be found in eastern Africa, in the late 1950s, I thought, what a wonderful marriage this was, biology and anthropology. I was around 16 years old when I made this particular choice of academic pursuit.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
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.
quote by Donald Johanson
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!