Man of Honour
"Ardi" is a hominid that lived 4.4 million years ago in Ethiopia, a million years before the famous Lucy remains which have long reigned as the earliest known human ancestor. Ardi, short for Ardipithecus ramidus, changes the story of human evolution.
The Ardi remains provide evidence that, rather than evolving from an ancient chimp-like animal, chimpanzees and humans each evolved from an early common ancestor, and that each has continued along its path of individual evolution.
Researcher Tim White says Ardi is the closest we've come to finding that common ancestor. "...When you go from head to toe, you're seeing a mosaic creature that is neither chimpanzee, nor is it human," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091001/ap_on_sc/us_sci_before_lucy
The Ardi remains provide evidence that, rather than evolving from an ancient chimp-like animal, chimpanzees and humans each evolved from an early common ancestor, and that each has continued along its path of individual evolution.
Researcher Tim White says Ardi is the closest we've come to finding that common ancestor. "...When you go from head to toe, you're seeing a mosaic creature that is neither chimpanzee, nor is it human," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091001/ap_on_sc/us_sci_before_lucy
