Name the paleoanthropologist who discovered early hominid fossils

The correct answer is - Donald Johnson.

Donald Johnson is a paleoanthropologist that made one of the most important and interesting discoveries in the fossils records. Johnson managed to uncover fossils of early hominid, an early australopithecine specimen, which was given the name Lucy.

The discovery was made in Ethiopia, in the Awash Valley, near the village of Hadar. This took place in the year of 1974.

The australopithecine discovered by Johnson was dated to around 3.2 million years of age. It was a discovery that changed lot of things in the way in which the human evolution was seen, some being very happy about the discovery, while some refusing to admit that it is an animal directly connected with the humans. It also has to be said that it was a big blow for the religious leaders, and they made it public as to how unhappy they are with it.

Lucy is a specimen that still brings in a lot of controversy with it. While some accept it as an early hominid, others say that it doesn't have the required shape to be one.