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Ardipithecus ramidus - The Missing Link
The oldest human skeleton has been discovered! It is a small-brained, 110-
pound (50-kilogram) female of the species Ardipithecus ramidus, nicknamed
"Ardi." [1]
Ardi lived in what is now Ethiopia 4.4 million years ago, which makes her over a
million years older than the famous Lucy fossil, found in the same region 35
years ago.Like us, Ardi also walked on two legs on the ground, the species also
clambered about on four legs in the trees. [1]
Ardi made her home in the woods, not on the open savannah grasslands long
considered the main arena of human development. Yet her upright posture,
distinctive pelvis and other toes suggest she walked easily enough. Most
important, she showed no sign they walked on her knuckles, as contemporary
chimps and apes do. [2]
So why did her species become bipedal while it was still living partly in the
trees, especially since walking on two legs is a much less efficient way of getting
about? [1]
Owen Lovejoy, Kent State University, used apes as an example to explain. Sex
is best done quickly—hence those penis bristles, which accelerate ejaculation—
with the advantage to the male with big testicles carrying a heavy load of
sperm. Among females, the winners are those who flaunt their fertility with
swollen genitals or some other prominent display of ovulation. [1]
Ardi's fossilized remains were very fragile, sometimes disintegrating when they
were touched -- and splintered into many pieces as if they had been trampled
by a large animal, such as a rhinoceros. [3] This is a very important discovery
that we might not evolve from things that look like modern apes.
[1] Ardi's Secret: Did Early Humans Start Walking for Sex? National Geographic magazine
October 1, 2009. [2] Fossils shed New Light on Human Past, Wall Street Journal, October
2, 2009 [3] Scientists announce discovery of earliest prehuman skeleton, Boston.com,.
October 1, 2009
The oldest human skeleton has been discovered! It is a small-brained, 110-
pound (50-kilogram) female of the species Ardipithecus ramidus, nicknamed
"Ardi." [1]
Ardi lived in what is now Ethiopia 4.4 million years ago, which makes her over a
million years older than the famous Lucy fossil, found in the same region 35
years ago.Like us, Ardi also walked on two legs on the ground, the species also
clambered about on four legs in the trees. [1]
Ardi made her home in the woods, not on the open savannah grasslands long
considered the main arena of human development. Yet her upright posture,
distinctive pelvis and other toes suggest she walked easily enough. Most
important, she showed no sign they walked on her knuckles, as contemporary
chimps and apes do. [2]
So why did her species become bipedal while it was still living partly in the
trees, especially since walking on two legs is a much less efficient way of getting
about? [1]
Owen Lovejoy, Kent State University, used apes as an example to explain. Sex
is best done quickly—hence those penis bristles, which accelerate ejaculation—
with the advantage to the male with big testicles carrying a heavy load of
sperm. Among females, the winners are those who flaunt their fertility with
swollen genitals or some other prominent display of ovulation. [1]
Ardi's fossilized remains were very fragile, sometimes disintegrating when they
were touched -- and splintered into many pieces as if they had been trampled
by a large animal, such as a rhinoceros. [3] This is a very important discovery
that we might not evolve from things that look like modern apes.
[1] Ardi's Secret: Did Early Humans Start Walking for Sex? National Geographic magazine
October 1, 2009. [2] Fossils shed New Light on Human Past, Wall Street Journal, October
2, 2009 [3] Scientists announce discovery of earliest prehuman skeleton, Boston.com,.
October 1, 2009
Knowledge has advantages.