Ardipithecus ramidus

Ardipithecus ramidus is an extinct hominin species known from fossils found in Ethiopia, dating to about 4.4 million years ago. Its partial skeleton, nicknamed Ardi, preserves evidence about early hominin locomotion and habitat.

Ardi: Ardi is the nickname for a partial female Ardipithecus ramidus skeleton discovered in Ethiopia. Her bones provide the species’ most detailed evidence for anatomy and movement.
Bipedalism: Bipedalism is locomotion using two legs as the primary means of movement. Ardi’s pelvis, feet, and lower limbs inform debate about early forms of upright walking.
Hominini: Hominini is the primate tribe containing modern humans and extinct species more closely related to humans than to chimpanzees. Ardipithecus ramidus is classified within this human evolutionary lineage.
Ardipithecus ramidus habitat: Ardipithecus ramidus habitat is reconstructed from fossil plants, animals, soils, and geological evidence at its Ethiopian sites. The reconstruction challenges older pictures of early hominins evolving only in open grasslands.
Tim D. White: Tim D. White is an American paleoanthropologist known for research on human evolution and Ethiopian fossil sites. He led the team that announced Ardipithecus ramidus and coordinated its major fossil study.
Aramis, Ethiopia: Aramis is an Ethiopian locality in the Middle Awash where fossils of Ardipithecus ramidus were discovered. Its deposits yielded Ardi and many other fossils assigned to the species.
Ardipithecus ramidus foot: The Ardipithecus ramidus foot combined an opposable big toe with features associated with bearing weight during bipedal walking. Its grasping toe and more rigid midfoot suggest a mix of climbing and ground locomotion.
Ardipithecus: Ardipithecus is an extinct genus of early hominins known from fossils in Ethiopia. Ardipithecus ramidus is the best-known species assigned to this genus.
Ardipithecus ramidus diet: Ardipithecus ramidus diet is inferred chiefly from the form and wear of its teeth and associated ecological evidence. Dietary evidence can clarify how the species used its wooded environment.
Gen Suwa: Gen Suwa is a Japanese paleoanthropologist whose research focuses on hominin fossils and dental evolution. His analysis of Ardipithecus teeth contributed to identifying and interpreting the species.

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