Ethiopia's rich heritage: Lucy's birthplace is globally significant(Seattlepi.com, Sep. 29, 2008)

As the ancient fossil known as Lucy indicates, that portion of northern East Africa we now call Ethiopia may well have been the cradle of humanity. The oldest known fossils of modern humans, dated at 190,000 years old, have been found there along with the remains of chimplike ancestors who preceded Lucy by more than 2.5 million years.