Ardipithecus Temporal range: Pliocene
| |
---|---|
![]() | |
Ardipithecus ramidus skull | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Phylum: | |
Class: | |
Order: | |
Family: | |
Subfamily: | |
Tribe: | |
Genus: | Ardipithecus White et al., 1995
|
Species | |
Ardipithecus is a very early hominid genus, which lived during the late Neogene.
Two species are known: A. kadabba, dated to about 5.6 million years ago (late Miocene),[1] and A. ramidus, which lived about 4.4 million years ago during the early Pliocene.[2]
Because this genus shares several traits with the African great ape genera (Pan and Gorilla), some place it on the that branch rather than human branch.
Most consider it a proto-human because of a likeness in teeth with Australopithecus. Ardipithecus had bipedalism and reduced canines, like the Australopithecines.