Comptes Rendus Palevol

Lucy’s Heirs – Tribute to Yves Coppens

The death of Yves Coppens on 22 June 2022 has had a profound impact on the scientific community, particularly palaeoanthropologists. In addition to his immense scientific contribution, Yves Coppens left a lasting impression through his impact on a broad public. This thematic volume, entitled "Lucy's Heirs - A Tribute to Yves Coppens", is dedicated to the memory of this key figure and brings together contributions from specialists in human evolution from around the world. It follows on from the symposium of the same name, organised in June 2023 by the Collège de France in tribute to Yves Coppens (https://www.college-de-france.fr/fr/agenda/symposium/les-heritiers-de-lucy-lucy-heirs).
Since the discovery of Lucy, advances in palaeoanthropology have continued to transform our understanding of human evolution, thanks in particular to the discovery of new species of fossil hominins in Africa and the development of innovative methodological techniques. These advances now offer us a new vision, moving from linear evolution to the unsuspected complexity and diversity of extinct hominin forms.
This thematic volume takes stock of palaeoanthropological research, tracing the progress made since the pioneering work of Yves Coppens in Africa. It highlights the contributions of several generations of researchers, who share their findings and perspectives on this decisive period in evolution, marked by the emergence of the genus Homo and the prefiguration of modern humanity.