the world ' s oldest recorded embryo has been discovered in east asia in an event known appropriately as the cradle of people . the 3 . 3 - million - year - antique fossilized 7-year was uncovered in southern ethiopia ' s serengeti in the great relief canal ( maps of ethiopia ) . the skeleton , attributed to the primitive human male australopithecus afarensis , is remarkable for its aged and completeness , even for a landscape shockingly rich in traits of our early ancestors , experts say . the new find does even exclude the superstar fossil of the same species : " lucy , " a 3 . 2 - dozen - year - old male female discovered remotely in 1974 that reshaped theories of human genetics . ( linked : " archaeological find is missing link in humans formation , scientists say " [ aug 2006 ] . ) .
Lucy fossils have been discovered 3.3 million years ago.