Type specimen: ARA-VP-6/1 (holotype); Ardipithecus ramidus was discovered in December 1992. Deposits within the Afar triangle/depression of Ethiopia (see Figure 8.2) have yielded multiple hominin species within the genera Ardipithecus and Australopithecus. Well adapted bi-ped Slideshow 3950060 by kassia Here, we present results of evaluations of cranial base breadths and previously unpublished estimates of cranial base length for ARA-VP 1/500 using a different methodology that allows more comprehensive comparisons between of Ar. Apes among the tangled branches of human origins, Comment on the paleobiology and classification of, The evolutionary context of the first hominins, Comparative myology of the hominoid cranial base. Note tip of eustachian process is darkened by abrasion of surface bone. Australopithecus afarensis-distal femoral shape. Ar. 5), the preserved portion is completely covered by the tympanic, which terminates well medial to the carotid foramen in an abraded but prominent eustachian process. ramidus is confirmed to have a relatively short basicranium, as in Australopithecus and Homo. Despite the evidence for a unique phylogenetic relationship with the Australopithecus + Homo clade, it has been argued that Ar. and G.S. However, pedal and pelvic traits indicating substantial arboreality have raised arguments that this taxon may instead be an example of parallel evolution of human-like traits among apes around the time of the chimpanzee–human split. More model information. ramidus cranium ARA-VP 1/500. Besides a relatively anterior foramen magnum, humans differ from apes in the lateral shift of the carotid foramina, mediolateral abbreviation of the lateral tympanic, and a shortened, trapezoidal basioccipital element. abstract = "The early Pliocene African hominoid Ardipithecus ramidus was diagnosed as a having a unique phylogenetic relationship with the Australopithecus + Homo clade based on nonhoning canine teeth, a foreshortened cranial base, and postcranial characters related to facultative bipedality. Here we investigated the basicranial morphology of Ar. ramidus shares with Australopithecus each of these human-like modifications. Therefore Ardipithecus ramidus should be a biped and ultimately a hominin. Anatomy of the tympanic/petrous relationship Pan, Homo, and Australopithecus: (A) chimpanzee, (B) modern human, (C) Australopithecus africanus (Sts 5), (D) Australopithcus robustus (DNH 7). ramidus shares with Australopithecus each of these human-like modifications. ramidus also retained considerable arboreal capabilities (11⇓⇓–14). N2 - The early Pliocene African hominoid Ardipithecus ramidus was diagnosed as a having a unique phylogenetic relationship with the Australopithecus + Homo clade based on nonhoning canine teeth, a foreshortened cranial base, and postcranial characters related to facultative bipedality. Dotted line indicates midline. (10), using a different method to estimate basicranial length (SI Text, Note 3), the ARA-VP 1/500 paratype cranium of Ar. However, pedal and pelvic traits indicating substantial arboreality have raised arguments that this taxon may instead be an example of parallel evolution of human-like traits among apes around the time of the chimpanzee-human split. Despite this projection, the lateral shift of the carotid foramina in these species yields a much shorter relative tympanic length than in the great majority of apes. In light of recent results, they’re not so sure. This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1322639111/-/DCSupplemental. En un primer moment aquell homínid de 40 kg de massa i 122 cm d'alçada va ser inclós dins del gènere Australopithecus, però set mesos després de l'aparició del primer article, es va crear un nou gènere per encabir-lo, passant a denominar-se Ardipithecus (mico de terra) ramidus, mot provinent de la llengua Afar i que significa arrel. a bit back. ramidus is represented by most of the cranial vault, parts of the cranial base (the occipital and temporal bones), and most of the right half of the face, including that of a lower jaw with teeth attached. ramidus canines appear derived in that they are relatively smaller, and more incisiform, and the third molar is more elongated and large relative to the other molars. However, pedal and pelvic traits indicating substantial arboreality have raised arguments that this taxon may instead be an example of parallel evolution of human-like traits among apes around the time of the chimpanzee-human split. Here we investigated the basicranial morphology of Ar. Why or why not? Although the occipital region of Sahelanthropus was damaged, the structure of the foramen magnum suggests that it was bipedal (Cela-Conde, 2003). However, aspects of the foot and pelvis indicative of arboreal locomotion have raised arguments that this taxon may instead exemplify parallel evolution of human-like traits among apes around the time of the chimpanzee-human split. However, this variation appears to be unlinked to the morphology of the central basicranium, the derived configuration of which, as described here, was apparently fixed early in the clade’s evolutionary history (3, 6, 10, 24⇓–26). The modern human basicranium differs from that of our closest living relatives, the great apes, in numerous aspects of shape and morphological detail (1⇓⇓–4). Both ARA-VP 1/500 and ARA-VP 6/500 basioccipitals also share with many Australopithecus and Homo crania relatively weak topography of the prevertebral muscle (rectus capitis anterior and longus capitis) insertion sites, in contrast to the deep concavities and anterolaterally situated prominences commonly seen in Pan and Gorilla (10, 18). Thus, with Australopithecus, Ar. Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on PNAS. Among hominoids Suwa and Berhane Asfaw and Yoel Rak and White, 1994 ) keywords = `` Proceedings of adjacent. Modify the relationship between the centers of the Ardipithecus + Australopithecus + Homo clade. `` was in... In modern humans based on the anterior margin of the tympanic/petrous relationship: Ardipithecus ramidus was in! Figure 8.2 ) have yielded multiple hominin species within the genera Ardipithecus and Australopithecus gold and heavy! Large sample size of over 110 specimens from Aramis alone 2018 Elsevier B.V., rights! 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