Anatomy
A grasping big toe, flexible upper body and pelvis with features interpreted as supporting upright walking.
COMPREHENSIVE INTERACTIVE REPORT · High
Ardipithecus ramidus
Woodland hominin4.5–4.3 million years ago · Ethiopia
Current synthesis
A well-described early hominin combining terrestrial bipedality with extensive climbing adaptations.
Ecology & food
Woodland habitat with varied plant and animal resources.
Technology
No securely attributed stone-tool industry.
Clothing evidence
No archaeological evidence of clothing. Reconstruction is shown without garments.
Behavior & social evidence
Diet and locomotion can be reconstructed in broad terms; named social systems cannot.
Relationships
Usually placed after the human–chimpanzee split and before australopith diversification.
Controversies
Degree and style of bipedality; reconstruction of the damaged pelvis.
What reaches forward
Undermined the assumption that bipedality evolved only after forests gave way to savanna.
SOURCE DESK