News Anthropology

African hominid fossils show ancient steps toward a two-legged stride

New cache of Ardipithecus ramidus bones reveals advances in upright walking 4 million years ago

Ardipithecus ramidus ankle bone

WALKING TALL  A researcher holds an Ardipithecus ramidus ankle bone after its discovery at an East African site not far from where Ardi, a partial skeleton of the same species, was found previously.

S.W. Simpson

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Fossils unearthed from an Ethiopian site not far from where the famous hominid Ardi’s partial skeleton was found suggest that her species was evolving different ways of walking upright more than 4 million years ago.