October 1st, 2009
Ardi sheds light on human origins; A tweener fossil
Scientists in the U.S. and Ethiopia have unveiled fossils from a 4.4 million year old human ancestor. Her name: Ardi. The revelation: The early ancestors to humans were more modern than today’s apes and chimps. Ardi represents a middle ground in human evolution and bumps “Lucy,” the fabled 3.2 million year old fossil, out of science’s limelight.
According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the research surrounding Ardi, will appear in the journal Science on Friday. A package of 11 detailed papers “will be the first comprehensive, peer-reviewed description of the Ardipithecus fossils, which include a partial skeleton of a female, nicknamed ‘Ardi.’”
Read more on “Meet ‘Ardi,’ the hottest fossil on the international scene” on SmartPlanet.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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