Where have Ardipithecus fossils been found?
Ethiopia
A team led by American paleoanthropologist Tim White discovered the first Ardipithecus ramidus fossils in the Middle Awash area of Ethiopia between 1992 and 1994.
Why is Ardipithecus ramidus considered such a significant fossil discovery?
ramidus because at 4.4 mya, it provides the first extensive fossil evidence that extends our understanding of the last common ancestor we shared with chimpanzees. Scientists argue that the morphology of Ar.
What was unusual about the fossil Ardipithecus ramidus?
Like most primitive, but unlike all previously recognized hominins, Ardipithecus ramidus had a grasping big toe adapted for locomotion in trees. However, scientists claim that other features of its skeleton reflect adaptation to bipedalism. Like later hominins, Ardipithecus had reduce canine teeth.
Where were the remains of Lucy and Ardi found?
Until now, the oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor was the 3.2-million-year-old partial skeleton of Lucy, discovered in the Afar depression of Ethiopia, near Hadar, in 1974 and named Au.
Where did the Ardipithecus ramidus live?
ramidus lived in a river-margin forest in an otherwise savanna (wooded grassland) landscape at Aramis, Ethiopia. Correct interpretation of habitat of Ar. ramidus is crucial for proper assessment of causes and mechanisms of early hominin evolution, including the development of bipedalism.
When did the Ardipithecus ramidus live?
5.8 million and 4.4 million years ago
Ardipithecus lived between 5.8 million and 4.4 million years ago, from late in the Miocene Epoch (23 million to 5.3 million years ago) to the early to middle Pliocene Epoch (5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago). The genus contains two known species, Ar. ramidus and Ar. kadabba.
What was Ardipithecus ramidus habitat?
ramidus lived in a river-margin forest in an otherwise savanna (wooded grassland) landscape at Aramis, Ethiopia. Correct interpretation of habitat of Ar. ramidus is crucial for proper assessment of causes and mechanisms of early hominin evolution, including the development of bipedalism.
What is the significance of the Ardipithecus fossils?
The results were hugely significant in terms of how we view the evolution of the earliest hominins and the physical appearance of the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees.
How old are the fossils of Ardipithecus ramidus?
There are now more than 30 fossils making up at least nine individuals, dated between 4.3 and 4.5 million years old. ARA-VP-1/129: 4.4 million years; discovered between 1992 and 1993 in Aramis, Ethiopia. This partial lower jaw from a child is one of several fossils known for this species.
Where was the spinal cord located in Ardipithecus ramidus?
8 million years ago), and Ardipithecus ramidus (4.4 million years ago). Ardipithecus has an expanded tarsal region on each foot, and its foramen (the hole in the skull through which the spinal cord enters) is located centrally under the skull instead of at the rear of it. In addition, the…
How is Ardipithecus ramidus related to kadabba?
A. kadabba is considered to have been the direct ancestor of A. ramidus, making Ardipithecus a chronospecies. The exact affinities of Ardipithecus have been debated. White, in 1994, considered A. ramidus to have been more closely related to humans than chimps, though noting it to be the most ape-like fossil hominin to date.
What did the Ardipithecus ramidus pelvis show?
The pelvis, reconstructed from a crushed specimen, is said to show adaptations that combine tree-climbing and bipedal activity. The discoverers argue that the ‘Ardi’ skeleton reflects a human-African ape common ancestor that was not chimpanzee-like.