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Encyclopedia > Ardipithecus
?Ardipithecus
Fossil range: Pliocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Subfamily: Homininae
Tribe: Hominini
Genus: Ardipithecus
White et al., 1995
Species

†Ardipithecus kadabba
†Ardipithecus ramidus The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Myxozoa (slime animals) Superphylum Deuterostomia (blastopore becomes anus) Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Australosphenida Ausktribosphenida Monotremata Subclass Eutheria (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Anagaloidea (extinct) Arctostylopida (extinct) Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia... Families 15, See classification A primate (L. prima, first) is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. ... Genera The hominids are the members of the biological family Hominidae (the great apes), which includes humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. ... Genera Gorilla Pan (chimpanzees) Homo (humans) Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Homininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, including Homo sapiens and some extinct relatives, as well as the gorillas and the chimpanzees. ... Genera Subtribe Paninina Pan (chimpanzees) Subtribe Hominina Homo (humans) Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Orrorin (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Hominini is the tribe of Homininae that only includes humans (Homo), chimpanzees (Pan), and their extinct ancestors. ... Tim White- Born August 24, 1950 in Los Angeles, California. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Species Ardipithecus kadabba Ardipithecus ramidus Ardipithecus is a very early hominid genus (subfamily Homininae). ... Species Ardipithecus kadabba Ardipithecus ramidus Ardipithecus is a very early hominid genus ( subfamily Homininae). ...

Ardipithecus is a very early hominin genus (subfamily Homininae). Because it shares several traits with the African great apes (genus Pan and genus Gorilla), it is considered by some to be on the chimpanzee rather than human branch, but most consider it a proto-human because of a likeness in teeth with Australopithecus. A. ramidus lived about 4.4 million years ago during the early Pliocene. Genera Subtribe Paninina Pan (chimpanzees) Subtribe Hominina Homo (humans) Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Orrorin (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Hominini is the tribe of Homininae that only includes humans (Homo), chimpanzees (Pan), and their extinct ancestors. ... In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a taxonomic grouping. ... ... Genera Gorilla Pan (chimpanzees) Homo (humans) Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Homininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, including Homo sapiens and some extinct relatives, as well as the gorillas and the chimpanzees. ... Genera Subfamily Ponginae Pongo - Orangutans Gigantopithecus (extinct) Sivapithecus (extinct) Subfamily Homininae Gorilla - Gorillas Pan - Chimpanzees Homo - Humans Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Pierolapithecus (extinct) (tentative) The Hominids (Hominidae) are a biological family which includes humans, extinct species of humanlike creatures and the other great apes... Type Species Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775 Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often shortened to chimp, is the common name for the two extant species in the genus Pan. ... Type Species Troglodytes gorilla Savage, 1847 Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the living primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. ... Type Species Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775 Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often shortened to chimp, is the common name for the two extant species in the genus Pan. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (the great apes). ... Species Homo erectus (extinct) Homo ergaster (extinct) Homo floresiensis (extinct) Homo habilis (extinct) Homo heidelbergensis (extinct) Homo neanderthalensis (extinct) Homo rudolfensis (extinct) Homo sapiens Homo is the genus that includes humans and their close relatives. ... Species †A. afarensis (Lucy) †A. africanus †A. anamensis †A. bahrelghazali †A. garhi Formerly Australopithecus, now Paranthropus † † † The gracile australopithecines (members of the genus Australopithecus) are a group of extinct hominids that are closely related to humans. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ...


Two species have been described, Ardipithecus ramidus and Ardipithecus kadabba. The latter was initially described as a subspecies of A. ramidus, but on the basis of teeth recently discovered in Ethiopia has been raised to species rank. A. kadabba is dated to have lived between 5.8 million to 5.2 million years ago. The canine teeth show primitive features that distinguish them from those of more recent hominines. A. kadabba is believed to be the earliest organism yet identified that lies in the human line following its split from the lineage that gave rise to the two modern chimpanzee species. Remains from both species have been found in the Middle Awash. In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... In zoology, as in other branches of biology, subspecies is the rank immediately subordinate to a species. ... The Canine teeth are the long, pointed teeth used for grabbing hold of and tearing apart foods, also called cuspids, dogteeth or fangs. Species that feature them, such as humans and dogs, usually have four, two in the top jaw, two in the lower, on either side of the Incisors. ... The Middle Awash is an archaeological site along the Awash River in Ethiopias Afar Depression. ...


On the basis of bone sizes, Ardipithecus species are believed to have been about the size of a modern chimpanzee. The toe structure of A. ramidus suggests that the creature walked upright, and this poses problems for current theories of the origins of hominid bipedalism: Ardipithecus is believed to have lived in shady forests rather than on the savannah, where the more energy efficient locomotion permitted by bipedalism would have been an advantage. A biped is an animal that travels across surfaces supported by two legs. ...


The forest lifestyle poses problems for the current theories regarding the development of bipedalism, most of which focus on the savanna. New thought will be necessary in order to reconcile these savanna theories with the current knowledge of early forest-dwelling hominids.


Further reading

Wikispecies has information related to:
  • BBC News: Amazing hominid haul in Ethiopia
  • New York Times article Two Splits Between Human and Chimp Lines Suggested published May 18, 2006. "The analysis, by David Reich, Nick Patterson and colleagues at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass., sets up a serious conflict between the date of the split as indicated by fossil skulls, about 7 million years ago, and the much younger date implied by genetic analysis, as late as 5.4 million years ago. The conflict can be resolved, Dr. Reich's team suggests in an article published in today's Nature, if there were in fact two splits between the human and chimp lineages, with the first being followed by interbreeding between the two populations and then a second split."
 v·d·e 
Part of the series on Human Evolution
Hominini
Sahelanthropus tchadensis - Orrorin tugenensis
Ardipithecus: A. kadabba - A. ramidus
Australopithecines
Australopithecus : A. afarensis - A. africanus - A. anamensis - A. bahrelghazali - A. garhi
Paranthropus: P. aethiopicus - P. boisei - P. robustus
Humans and Proto-humans
Kenyanthropus platyops
Homo: H. antecessor - H. habilis - H. rudolfensis - H. cepranensis - H. georgicus - H. erectus: H. e. lantianensis - H. e. palaeojavanicus - H. e. pekinensis - H. e. soloensis - H. ergaster - H. heidelbergensis - H. rhodesiensis - H. neanderthalensis - H. floresiensis - Homo sapiens: H. s. idaltu - H. s. sapiens
Topics: Timeline of human evolution - Graphical timeline of human evolution - List of human fossils - Human evolutionary genetics

  Results from FactBites:
 
Ardipithecus ramidus (473 words)
Ardipithecus ramidus is the earliest hominid found so far and was discovered in Aramis, in the Middle Awash region of Ethiopia in 1994 by Tim White and his two colleagues, Gen Suwa and Berhane Asfaw.
Ardipithecus ramidus translates literally as "ground man-root" and is thought to be 4.4 to 4.5 million years old.
The dentition of Ardipithecus ramidus is more primitive (more apelike) than that seen in Australopithecus afarensis, with narrower molar teeth capped with thin enamel, unlike the condition in all other known hominines; the canines are larger, but not as large as in living apes.
Ardipithecus ramidus (772 words)
They proposed Ardipithecus (from "ardi", which means "ground" or "floor" in the Afar language) to be the genus [White, et al, 1995].
A morphological description of the initial, mainly dental, fossil remains of Ardipithecus ramidus was published by White et al, 1994.
The length (in the mesiodistal plane) to breadth (in the buccolingual plane) ratio, which is roughly equal to 1 in later hominids, is much greater in A. ramidus.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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