New fossils of chimp-like human ancestors

Scientists have unearthed skeletal fossils of chimpanzee-like human ancestors who are believed to have lived around 4.5 million years ago.

Scientists have unearthed skeletal fossils of chimpanzee-like human ancestors who are believed to have lived around 4.5 million years ago, reports Xinhua.

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The fossils belonging to nine individuals of the species Ardipithecus ramidus, were discovered by scientists of the Indiana University from the Gona study centre in northern Ethiopia.

They would help scientists piece together the mysterious transformation of primitive chimp-like hominids into more human forms, scientists at the US National Science Foundation (NSF) here said.

The fossils suggest that the ancient hominid walked on two feet and had diamond-shaped upper canines, not the "v"-shaped ones chimps use to chomp. However, the hominids appeared a lot more chimpanzee-like than human outwardly, scientists said.

The Gona study area had earlier thrown up a rich haul of the oldest stone tools ever discovered.

The dig team also reported new evidence that suggests those human ancestors lived in close quarters with a menagerie of antelope, rhinos, monkeys, giraffes and hippos in northern Ethiopia that was far wetter than it is today. Research is continuing to determine which habitats those hominids preferred.

"While bio-molecular evidence helps us to date the timing of major events in the evolution of apes and humans, there is no substitute for fossils when it comes to trying to picture the anatomy and behavioural capabilities of our early relatives," Mark Weiss, a programme officer at the NSF said.

"The late Miocene-early Pliocene is a particularly important era as it was roughly at that time that our ancestors and those of the chimpanzee parted company. Each new fossil helps to tell a bit more of the story of these early stages in human origins."