Oldest known hominid skeleton found

Scientists have recently announced the discovery of an older hominid skeleton that the famed Lucy.  The new fossilized skeleton, Ardipithecus ramidus or Ardi, is more than a million years older than Lucy, and shows signs that out last common ancestor with apes goes back even further than previously believed.

Ardi’s fossils show the hominid to be around 4.4 million years old, and already standing upright.  There is clear evidence that this creature still took to the trees, as there is a toe appendage that looks much like the chimpanzees.  However, there is no sign of the ligaments needed in the wrist that modern chimps require for walking along on all fours.

After finding several pieces of this hominid’s fossil, scientists have come to the conclusion that Ardi was approximately 3.5 to 4 foot tall and weighed roughly 110 lbs.  The area in which Ardi was found proved to be a very rich source of fossils.  According to the excavation team, over the course of 2 years the fossils of about 35 individuals were found, though Ardi was the most complete with a total of about 125 pieces.

This in itself is a wonder, as there has never been so many specimens found in one area from this time period.  In fact, most known hominid specimens are based on only a few pieces.  Lucy’s skeleton was once the most complete, but even she is missing parts of the hands that held the vital information.  Ardi proves that whatever common ancestor modern humans and apes have, it goes back in time even further than ever imagined.  One scientist says that he believes the last ancestor goes back at least 8-10 million years, but that is merely speculation.

Tags: Hominid Skeleton, Human Ancestor Found, Link Between Apes And Humans, Lucy Fossil, Oldest Complete Skeleton

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.