The first members of the human lineage lack many features that distinguish us from other primates. Although it has been a difficult quest, we are closer than ever to knowing the mother of us all.

The hyperrealistic artistic reconstruction of the female Austrolopithecus ... discovery -— also in Ethiopia -— of Ardi, a female Ardipithecus ramidus who lived 4.5 million years ago.

Ardipithecus ramidus may have walked upright. Other fossils discovered with A. ramidus suggest that the species lived in the forest. Exhibiting some chimp-like characteristics, A. anamensis' jaws ...

Discussion continues over whether Ardipithecus is a hominid or not, whether it walked on two feet or not, and what its relationship is to the 3.9?.2 million year old fossils found in 1995 by Meave ...