Discovering Ardi

Older than Lucy, "Ardi" reveals startling new details about the evolution of the hominid family tree. Following the publication in the journal Science on the find and study of a 4.4 million-year-old female partial skeleton nicknamed "Ardi," Discovery Channel will present a world premiere special. The two-hour groundbreaking special documents the sustained, intensive investigation leading up to the landmark publication of the Ardipithecus ramidus fossils. The scientific investigation that began in the Ethiopian desert 17 years ago opens a new chapter on human evolution, revealing the first evolutionary steps our ancestors took after we diverged from a common ancestor we once shared with living chimpanzees. "Ardi's" centrepiece skeleton, the other hominids she lived with, and the rocks, soils, plants and animals that made up her world were analyzed in laboratories around the globe. The scientists have now published their findings in the prestigious journal Science. "Ardi" is now the oldest skeleton from our (hominid) branch of the primate family tree. These Ethiopian discoveries reveal an early grade of human evolution in Africa that pre-dated the famous Australopithecus nicknamed "Lucy." Ardipithecus was a woodland creature with a small brain, long arms and short legs. The pelvis and feet show a primitive form of two-legged walking on the ground, but Ardipithecus was also a capable tree climber, with long fingers and big toes that allowed its feet to grasp like those of an ape. The discoveries answer questions about how hominids became bipedal. This landmark Discovery Channel special reveals the scientific analysis undertaken by an international team of 47 scientists as they painstakingly piece together the hominid bones and link the evidence of thousands of other animals and plant fossils. The international research team weighed in on the scope of the project and its findings: "These are the results of a scientific mission to our deep African past," s