AL 333
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AL 333, commonly referred to as the "First Family", is a collection of prehistoric hominid teeth and bones. Discovered in 1975 by Donald Johanson's team in Hadar, Ethiopia, the "First Family" is estimated to be about 3.2 million years old and consists of the remains of at least thirteen individuals of different ages.[1] They are generally thought to be members of the species Australopithecus afarensis. There are multiple theories about the hominids' cause of death and some debate over their species and sexual dimorphism.
| Catalog no. | AL 333 |
|---|---|
| Common name | The First Family |
| Age | 3.2 million years |
| Place discovered | Hadar, Ethiopia |
| Date discovered | 1975 |
| Discovered by | Donald Johanson |
In the late 1960s, French paleoanthropologist Maurice Taieb began geological exploration of the Afar Triangle, a relatively unexplored area in northern Ethiopia. Also known as the Danakil Depression, this triangular region contains the lowest point in Ethiopia and one of the lowest in Africa. In 1972, Taieb invited Yves Coppens, a French paleontologist, Jon Kalb, an American geologist, and Donald Johanson, an American anthropologist, to survey the region to appraise its field exploration potential. They decided to work in the Hadar Formation, a sedimentary geological formation within the region. The four men established the International Afar Research Expedition (IARE), with Johanson in charge of the paleoanthropology aspect of the expedition.[2]: 466–468
Historically, the Afar Triangle had been unexplored due to its remoteness and inhospitable nature. The IARE, however, chose the region for specific reasons. The geological sequence of the Hadar Formation includes nearly 200 meters of rock layers (strata), spanning a significant geological period. The sediment was also rich in fossils, often preserving partial skeletons of animals, suggesting the potential for recovering well-preserved and more complete hominid fossils. Furthermore, the area contained feldspars and volcanic glass valuable for chronometric dating.[2]: 467
From 1973 to 1977, IARE expeditions resulted in the discovery of approximately 250 hominid fossils.[2]: 466–468 The most famous Hadar discovery is Lucy, the most complete A. afarensis skeleton found to date. However, in 1975, numerous remains were also discovered at another site within the formation, AL 333. These remains became known as the "First Family" and represent at least thirteen distinct individuals, including both adults and children. The recovery of these 216 hominid specimens is significant in African paleoanthropology because their close proximity suggests these individuals may have lived in a group or been part of the same family.[2]: 471–472
Characteristics of findings
Of the initial 216 specimens, 197 were surface finds, and 19 were found within 80 cm of the surface, suggesting they died around the same time. Further visits to AL 333 led to the discovery of 23 additional postcranial and 3 mandibular and dental specimens. This increased the estimated number of individuals from 13 to at least 17 (9 adults, 3 adolescents, and 5 young children). The fossils showed minimal weathering.[2]: 471–472
In 2000, a complete fossil of the fourth metatarsal was recovered from AL 333. The morphology of this bone suggests that A. afarensis had transverse and longitudinal foot arches, indicating a bipedal gait similar to that of modern humans.[3]