Lucy, the most complete skeleton of an early human ancestor yet discovered, got the opportunity of a lifetime on Monday when she was introduced to US President Barack Obama during his visit to Ethiopia.
The skeleton, whose formal name is AL-288-1 -- referring to several hundred pieces of 3.3 million-year-old bone from a female Australopithecus afarensis discovered in Ethiopia's Afar region -- met the president during a state dinner at Ethiopia's National Palace.
Lucy is normally housed in the National Museum of Ethiopia, but the exhibit was brought to the palace for Obama's visit.
"That's amazing," Obama marveled as he scanned the fossils laid out in an open case in a room at the palace. He even gave them a touch after being encouraged to by researchers, who told him the skeleton illustrates how all humans are connected.
“Every single person, even Donald Trump," said Zeresenay Alemseged, head of the California Academy of Sciences, who conducted the tour.
The president was so fascinated he came back later with some of the members of Congress who made the trip to Ethiopia.
"It means he had fun here and he wanted to share that excitement," said Alemseged. As for encouraging Obama to touch the bones, he added, "Extraordinary people have extraordinary access."
Lucy got her name from the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," which the fossil's discoverers played during their celebration at the camp site after finding the skeleton.