Why is Ardipithecus important?
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Asked by: Santhosh Seace
Ardipithecus,
Why was the discovery of Ardipithecus so important?
Ardipithecus gives strong evidence that the features associated with the chimpanzee lineage—that is, the peculiar shortened backs and flexible feet, as well as the knuckle-walking adaptations of the forelimb, the enlarged incisors for frugivory, and the long palates with tusklike male canines for fighting—emerged after
Why is Ardi such an important development?
The discovery of Ardi provides vital clues about the earliest human ancestor that lived at the fork in the evolutionary road that led to humans on one side and chimps on the other. “Darwin was very wise on this matter.
Who was Ardi and what was its importance?
Ardi was excavated between 1994 and 1997 and has been isotopically dated at 4.4 million years old. She is one of more than 100 specimens from the site that belong to Ardipithecus ramidus, a species considered by most scientists to be a very ancient hominid.
What was so important about Ardipithecus ramidus foot?
In particular, the foot of Ar. ramidus was argued to possess monkey-like midfoot stabilizing and propulsive morphologies that were inferred to be primitive for great apes (Lovejoy et al., 2009a).
Which statement best describes some important characteristics of Ardipithecus?
Which statement best describes some important characteristics of Ardipithecus? Ardipithecus had a transitional pelvis and lived in a woodland forest environment.
What did we learn from Ardipithecus ramidus?
Important fossil discoveries
Most of the remains are dental, but some skull and limb bones were also found. A partial humerus (arm bone) indicates that this species was smaller than the average Australopithecus afarensis.
What did finding Ardi tell us about hominin evolution?
Based on this anatomy, the authors proposed that Ardi shows that humans did not evolve from a “chimpanzee-like ape.” By that, they meant that Ardi evolved from an ancient ape that didn’t look like a chimpanzee or gorilla does today and that humans have retained some of those primitive traits.
What is the characteristics of Ardipithecus?
Ardipithecus kadabba (5.8 mya)
Dental characteristics are more ape-like than those of Ar. ramidus. While the fossils are very fragmentary, a toe bone suggests bipedal foot movement involving the “toe-off” motion, i.e. when we push off with the toes of one foot as we plant our other foot following its “swing” phase.
What are Australopithecus known for?
The genus Australopithecus is a collection of hominin species that span the time period from 4.18 to about 2 million years ago. Australopiths were terrestrial bipedal ape-like animals that had large chewing teeth with thick enamel caps, but whose brains were only very slightly larger than those of great apes.
What is distinct about the bipedalism of Ardipithecus ramidus?
Ardipithecus ramidus is a species of australopithecine from the Afar region of Early Pliocene Ethiopia 4.4 million years ago (mya). A. ramidus, unlike modern hominids, has adaptations for both walking on two legs (bipedality) and life in the trees (arboreality).
What features do the Australopithecus species share?
They were similar to modern humans in that they were bipedal (that is, they walked on two legs), but, like apes, they had small brains. Their canine teeth were smaller than those found in apes, and their cheek teeth were larger than those of modern humans.
What feature did Ardipithecus ramidus possess that were similar to extant humans?
Even though it has some ape-like features (as do many other early human species), it also has key human features including smaller diamond-shaped canines and some evidence of upright walking.
What was most significant about australopithecines one of the earliest hominids?
What was most significant about Australopithecines, one of the earliest hominids? They may have been able to walk upright on two legs. During the Old Stone Age, hunting and gathering was the way most people supported themselves.
What was unusual about the fossil Ardipithecus ramidus?
Like most primitive, but unlike all previously recognized hominins, Ardipithecus ramidus had a grasping big toe adapted for locomotion in trees. However, scientists claim that other features of its skeleton reflect adaptation to bipedalism. Like later hominins, Ardipithecus had reduce canine teeth.
