Scientists Find Fossil of 'Mother of All Primates'

Ardipithecus ramidus lived in trees and walked upright

(NEWSER) - A primate fossil found in Africa in 1994 predates the famous “Lucy” skeleton by 1 million years and offers clues to human evolution, researchers say. “This is huge,” a paleoanthropologist tells the Washington Post. “This is the biggest discovery really since” Lucy. The researchers believe “Ardi”—Ardipithecus ramidus—lived in trees but could walk upright to forage for food on the ground. More»

(NEWSER) - Scientists have discovered the oldest intact primate fossil on record, ABC News reports. Nicknamed “Ida,” the 47-million-year-old lemur-like creature had opposable thumbs, fingernails instead of claws, and legs that could have evolved to walk upright. Scientists don’t think Ida is a direct ancestor of humans, though. “We are not dealing with our grand, grand grandmother,” one said, “but perhaps with our grand, grand, grand aunt.” More»

Forensic artist reconstructs face of first modern human found in Europe

(NEWSER) - Meet the first modern European. His face—or hers, as researchers have been unable to determine the sex—was reconstructed by a forensic artist based on a partial skull and jawbone discovered in a Romanian cave. The facial features linked to the 35,000-year-old bones recall the continent's immediate African ancestors, reports the Guardian. Scientists speculate the skin color was darker than present-day Europeans. More»

Tracks in Kenya are 1.5 million years old

(NEWSER) - Scientists have unearthed ancient footprints that reveal humanity's ancestors walked with a modern stride as long as 1.5 million years ago, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Researchers believe the tracks—left beside a muddy river bank in Kenya and preserved when the river changed course—belong to human ancestor Homo erectus, and provide vital clues to how humanity began. More»

Indicates man settled in Europe far earlier than thought

(NEWSER) - An incredibly old jawbone discovered in a Spanish cave could rewrite human history, scientists say. The bone with teeth is 1.2 million years old and belongs to a long-extinct human ancestor called Homo antecessor. It's at least 300,000 years older than any other human fossil found in Europe. The discovery, along with stone tools and animal bones at the site, suggests that early humans colonized Europe much earlier than thought, Bloomberg reports. More»