Ardipithecus ramidus (4.4 million years ago)*

*Because fossil evidence for Ardipithecus ramidus isscant, a range of dates for when this species lived is not available.

Species Description:

Ardipithecus ramidus was discovered in December1992. Although not nearly as old as Orrorin tugenensis, Ar.ramidus is much more widely accepted by the scientific community asa hominid than is O. tugenensis, and thus is considered by some tobe the oldest-known hominid.

A partial skeleton and indirect evidence fromskeletal fragments indicate that Ar. ramidus may have walked upright.Although considered to be one of the most primitive hominids, Ar.ramidus shares some novel characteristics with much later hominids,namely aspects of its teeth. The molars of Ar. ramidus are smallerthan are those of any of the Australopithecus species.

Other fossils found with Ar. ramidus suggest thatit may have been a woodland forest dweller. This may modify current theoriesabout why hominids became bipedal in the first place. Walking upright hastypically been linked to movement onto the savanna.

(Note: This species has not yet been fully described becausesome of the specimens have been difficult to extract from the surrounding rock.)

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