Progenitress Ardi shed light on the theory of evolution

Exceptional archaeological discovery, which scientists have studied for years in secret, finally prestavljeno public. Man's distant progenitress Ardi was 120 centimeters tall, heavy about 50 pounds and it is walking on two legs, a little faith in the trees.

Fairly complete skeletons of hominids species Ardipitekus ramidus from grace named Ardi, part of the treasure discovered more 1994th Egypt in the field Avaš and represents the most important archeological discovery of the last hundred years which illuminates the evolution of man, Složna the scientific community.

This and 35 more fossils found in the same place for several years are thrown into the water the theory that we have become creatures of similar chimpanzees, says science team leader Professor Tim White of the University of Berkeley.

In the north of Ethiopia, in the sand near the village of Aramis, was found in a first tooth, and then the remains of the skull, pelvis, bones of hands and feet, sandwiched in between the volcanic rocks on which they dated to the period before 4.4 million years.

Researchers have assembled the following years, the mosaic pieces that yesterday in a special edition of the American scientific journal "Science" in a total of 11 scientific papers published a detailed description of the type Ardipitekus ramidus.

Although not a "missing link" - the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans who lived five to seven million years ago - Ardi is the closest that karic compared to all previous findings.

Fosilizirano wood, seeds and other plant remains found also between the volcanic rocks show that the Ardi lived in forested end, where the area of present-day desert grew fig trees and palms. This means that the fall in the water and the theory that praljudi "walk" in Savannah, said paleoantropolog Si Owen Lavdžoj from Kent University in Ohio, one of 47 scientists from around the world who participated in the survey.

Although weight and height similar to today's chimp, some Ardino primitivnije characteristics are compared to modern apes, the human, which says that a man on one side, while chimpanzees and gorillas on the other hand, have evolved considerably since the first approximately seven million years, "taking" the common ancestor.

Ardi shows that chimps have evolved and, contrary to the widespread attitude among scientists that they have not changed much and that they should be made by a model common ancestor.

"Darwin was very wise when he talked about it. He said that we must be very careful. The only way to really learn how it looked common ancestor is to find, "says Professor White.

Ardi us closer to that than anything so far. Its skeleton is more than a million years older than the famous fossil "Lucy" from the Australopithecus afarensis species, which was found in another part of Ethiopia 1974th and proved that our ancestors walked upright before their brains increased.

Computer Ardi reconstructed skull, which was found completely crushed, has led scientists to the conclusion that it was a female creature.

Although much time is spent Veruca trees, her pelvis was adapted to walk upright. She had very long hands and long fingers of the hands.

The outlying jaw looked at the monkeys, but the other features of the skull is very different from chimpanzees.

Analysis of tooth enamel indicates that ate fruit, figs, leaves and small mammals. The shape of teeth (teeth are square, not pointed as in the present monkeys), and approximately the same size of males and females, according to the assumption that males Ardipitekusa not fighting for females, as do chimpanzees and gorillas. That in the opinion of Professor Lavdžoja says that they were on their way to monogamy, and that they cared more for the young, although others challenge such speculation as "pure nonsense".