October 1, 2009
Ardipithecus ramidus is an archaelogical specimen that has been described as "one of the most important discoveries for the study of human evolution."
The skeleton fossils were found 15 years ago in the Afar Triangle of Ethiopia by an archaelogical team led by paleoanthropologist Tim White of UC Berkeley. The team found a nearly complete fossil specimen of a female primate, plus more than 100 fossils from 36 other members of the same species.
After 15 years of analysis, the researchers released their findings today. The findings are contained in a total of 11 papers by 47 authors.
Scientists call Ardipithecus ramidus "Ardi" for short.
Ardi lived 4.4 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia.
She lived in woodland conditions more than a million years before the famous "Lucy" fossil (Australopithecus afarensis).
Ardi walked upright. She stood about 47 inches tall and weighed about 110 pounds.
Even though she walked upright, her feet were well adapted to grasping, and so researchers think she was able to climb trees. The structure of Ardi's feet, pelvis, legs and hands suggest that she was a biped on the ground, but a quadruped in the trees.
What's more, her teeth resemble modern human teeth more closely than they do those of a chimpanzee.
It's this unexpected mix of advanced characteristics and primitive traits that has scientists so intrigued.Ardi appears to be a transitional fossil that fits somewhere between a more ape-like ancestor and the bipedal hominid Lucy.
http://www.examiner.com/article/ten-facts-about-ardipithecus-ramidus-ardi
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