Pre-australopithecines
Ardipithecus ramidus
"Ardi"
4.5–4.3 Ma·200 ka·Discovered 1994
Description
Partial 4.4-Ma skeleton published in 2009 after 15 years of analysis. Radically changed our view of the chimp–human common ancestor.
Notable facts
- "Ardi" weighed roughly 50 kg
- Pelvis is bipedal but the foot was still prehensile
- Lived in woodland — not savanna
- Refuted the "chimpanzee-like ancestor" hypothesis
Key specimens
ARA-VP-6/500
"Ardi" partial skeleton
~125 fragments forming a female skeleton, recovered 1994 and published in 2009 after 15 years of analysis.
ARA-VP-1/500
Type maxilla
Original type specimen described in 1994 by Tim White and team.
Anatomy
Small brain, opposable big toe, mosaic of arboreal and bipedal traits.
Locomotion
Slow bipedal on ground; agile climber in trees.
Diet
Omnivorous: fruits, leaves, occasional small game.
Where to see it
National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.
Media & references
Image ·
Wikimedia Commons · Wikipedia article
White, Suwa & Asfaw (1994). Australopithecus ramidus, a new species of early hominid from Aramis, Ethiopia. Nature.
doi: 10.1038/371306a0 ↗