4.4-million-year-old fossil could reshape human origins - Ardi Answered

By Dan Vergano, USA TODAY
The nearly complete fossil of a 4.4-million-year-old human ancestor, a female dubbed "Ardi," is rewriting the story of human origins, paleontologists reported Thursday.

The analysis of Ardipithecus ramidus (it means "root of the ground ape"), reported in the journal Science, changes the notion that humans and chimps, our closest genetic cousins, both trace their lineage to a creature that was more like today's chimp. Rather, the research suggests that their common ancestor was a walking forest forager...

More at USA Today Site - Discoveries

Tags:ardi fossil origin new

Comments

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EncasedDeath

11 years ago

ther will be an episode on discovery channel over it, i have it set to record!

lemonie

11 years ago

The find isn't new, but I guess the articles are. And you'd have to buy Science to get the full thing. Hmm, I don't know whether I can... L

kelseymh

Reply 11 years ago

Actually, a good chunk of that issue is available free online (http://www.sciencemag.org), because (they say) of its significance.

You're right that the find isn't new, but these articles are the first comprehensive description, including some really good work placing this hominin in an environmental context.

lemonie

Reply 11 years ago

Only a simple registration. I might look at it tomorrow, thanks for adding that. L

Goodhart

11 years ago

Hey, that looks like E.T. !

lemonie

Reply 11 years ago

From that layout, one might consider people have spent 10 years trying to figure out how they died / what sat on them? L