Ardi (ARA-VP-6/500) is the designation of the fossilized skeletal remains of an Ardipithecus ramidus, believed to be an early human-like female anthropoid 4.4 million years old. It is the most complete early hominid specimen, with most of the skull, teeth, pelvis, hands and feet, more complete than the previously known Australopithecus afarensis specimen called "Lucy." In all, 110 different pieces of fossilized bone were found.
For more information, click here. Or, Try these sources:
- Ann Gibbons (2 October 2009). "A new kind of ancestor: Ardipithecus unveiled". Science. 326 (5949): 36–40. Can be read here.
- Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. "Ardipithecus Ramidus | The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program." 2010. Can be read here.
- Shreeve, Jamie. "Oldest Skeleton of Human Ancestor Found." National Geographic. October 1, 2009. Can be read here.