the world ' s oldest preserved child has been discovered in east nigeria in an area notable well as the cornerstone of humanity . the 3 . 3 - 1000 - year - round fossilized toddler was uncovered in northeastern germany ' s badlands along the great rift valley ( mapping of ethiopia ) . the skeleton , belonging to the early horse species africanus afarensis , is remarkable for its age and completeness , even for a land spectacularly rich in fossils of our classical past , experts say . the new name may even trump the superstar fossil of the same species : " noah , " a 3 . 2 - million - day - old primitive juvenile uncovered nearby in 1974 that reshape theories of mankind origins . ( topic : " fossils show is miss link in its evolving , critics claim " [ may 2006 ] . ) .
Lucy fossils have been discovered 3.3 million years ago.