Initial indications are that her voice was likely ape-like.
The most exciting human-like trait of the species, though, is a developmental discovery attributable directly to the Dikika child. Her brain is actually smaller than it would be for a comparably aged ape, meaning this toddler and her kin already displayed one of the most fundamentally human developmental traits of all, neoteny - that is, slow and gradual development throughout an extended childhood.
Physical adulthood begins in chimps at about two-years years; while in humans it doesn't occur until between the 14th and 17th years, enabling human higher functions to fully develop. Lucy's baby was already headed in that direction. "She is on the cusp of humanity," enthused Dr. Alemseged.
Article comments
1 - Nancy
Considering where these things seem to be on the family tree, I don't know as I'd call it "little girl" any more than I'd refer to Lucy as a "woman" instead of just "a female". While the foramen magnum & hip complexes confirm they were pretty fully bipedal, not much else is known, and in other respects they're pretty simian. Kind of like referring to Cheetah the Chimp as "a man". Still, it is certainly extremely interesting & can only become even more so as they wrest the details from the morphology. This thing was 3-1/2 YEARS being picked out of the sandstone! Probably half the staff has gone blind with the closeup work by now.
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks Nancy, the "little girl" appellation is certainly debatable, and it comes down to what traits do you place the higher value on. She appears to have been more or less exactly halfway between ape and modern human, a fascinating place to be!
3 - Nancy
The REALLY interesting part is the hyoid bone, which implies strongly she had the capacity for speech & language! Now that is going to be a fight worth watching amongst anatomists, human evolutionists, and everybody else & their mothers. I'd be interested to see the internal brain cast as well; coupled with the hyoid, it would definitely stoke the case for actual speech. As those few who assert that the (also newly-discovered) Homo Florensis, i.e. "Hobbits" of Indonesia are not human because of the small size of their brains should know, it isn't only the size, it's the complexity of the folds that determines intelligence levels. Even that is at issue. Anatole France had a brain only slightly larger than a chimp's, but it was highly convuted. The more wrinkles, the more surface, the more synapses, the higher the intelligence.
This is going to be fun & very interesting.
4 - duane
Obviously a hoax. If I took this seriously I would have to start believing that our species is changing over time, almost like an evolution of form. And that's obviously impossible.
5 - Nancy
I thought that was a pretty funny comment, until I realized you might just be serious.
6 - duane
Just joshin' Nancy. I have FAITH in evolution.
7 - Asmat
It is almost clear that Africa is human origin. Many discoveries has been made also at Chad.
8 - rhawley
I think it's very interesting to compare this skull with the composite reconstruction of the male A. afarensis that Tim White assembled in 1979 based on skull fragments from the A.L. 333 site. At the time there was some concern that he'd incorporated parts from more than one species, but this new skull shows that he was right on the money.
9 - Jennie Torres
My comments on Lucy the skeleton is iformational. On May 30, 2008, the entire 5th grade in school, P.S.# 34, in Jersey City,NJ, is going to do a play called "Dig It", and my music teacher, "Mr. Fumento, chosed me to play As Lucy the skeleton. Today, were practicing for the big day because,this is the last time were going to be doing this play. P.S. time to come 9.30am, PARENT'S NIGHT 6.00pm
10 - abby
wow thjat amazing jk so boring just jkiddimng i love the book