Reconstructing a digital image of Lucy’s face is a difficult task, because only a few cranial bones were preserved.
However, her lower jawbone is almost complete, which provided a starting point for reconstructing the head. Using CT scans of Lucy’s fossilised bones alongside data deduced from other early hominin facial characteristics, an estimate of what the individual may have looked like was pieced together.
Today, advanced technologies like 3D imaging are able to produce detailed digital models. Any extra data collected about the species can be included in the algorithm to make models more accurate. For example, data about skin thickness and the positions of facial muscles can be altered. To further examine how her bones would have moved with each other, the fossils have been recreated as 3D-printed replicas. This means that scientists can experiment with movements and attach models of missing bone pieces without damaging the fossils.