the world ' s oldest recorded child has been discover in southeast africa in an area defined appropriately as the valley of people . the 3 . 3 - million - age - old specimens ager was uncovered in north america ' s escarpment along the great rift valley ( geography of ethiopia ) . the female , belonging to the primitive human species australopithecus afarensis , is notable for its size and completeness , even for a region unbelievably rich in fossils of our ancient ancestors , experts say . the old find may actually trump the blockbuster fossil of the same species : " lucy , " a 3 . 2 - million - year - old adult child discovered nearby in 1974 that reshaped theory of human adaptation . ( related : " the find is found link in human evolving , they . " [ may 2006 ] . ) .
Lucy fossils have been discovered 3.3 million years ago.