Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Australopithecus ramidus, a new species of early hominid from Aramis, Ethiopia

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 04 May 1995

Abstract

Seventeen hominoid fossils recovered from Pliocene strata at Aramis, Middle Awash, Ethiopia make up a series comprising dental, cranial and postcranial specimens dated to around 4.4 million years ago. When compared with Australopithecus afarensis and with modern and fossil apes the Aramis fossil hominids are recognized as a new species of Australopithecus—A. ramidus sp. nov. The antiquity and primitive morphology of A. ramidus suggests that it represents a long-sought potential root species for the Hominidae.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Johanson, D. C. & White, T. D. Science 202, 321–330 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sarich, V. M. & Wilson, A. C. Science 158, 1200–1203 (1967).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hasegawa, M., Kishino, H. & Yano, T. J. molec. Evol. 22, 160–174 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Pilbeam, D. R. Am. Anthrop. 88, 295–312 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Sarich, V. M., Schmid, C. W. & Marks, J. Cladistics 5, 3–32 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Andrews, P. & Martin, L. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 334, 199–209 (1991).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Andrews, P. Nature 360, 641–646 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Begun, D. R. Science 257, 1929–1933 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Dean, D. & Delson, E. Nature 359, 676–677 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. WoldeGabriel, G. et al. Nature 371, 330–333 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dart, R. A. Fol. Anat. Jap. 12, 207–221 (1934).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Robinson, J. T. Transv. Mus. Mem. 9, 1–179 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Le Gros Clark, W. E. Q. J. geol. Soc. 105, 225–264 (1950).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Walker, A. C. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 65, 47–60 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. White, T. D. Anthropos (Brno) 23, 79–90 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ward, S. C. & Hill, A. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 72, 21–37 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. White, T. D. et al. Nature 366, 261–265 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kramer, A. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 70, 457–473 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Hill, A. & Ward, S., Yb. phys. Anthropol. 31, 49–83 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Hill, A., Ward, S. & Brown, B. J. hum. Evol. 22, 439–451 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Hill, A. Nature 315, 222–224 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Pickford, M., Johanson, D. C., Lovejoy, C. O., White, T. D. & Aronson, J. L. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 60, 337–346 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Coffing, K., Feibel, C., Leakey, M. & Walker, A. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 93, 55–65 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Heinrich, R. E., Rose, M. D., Leakey, R. E. & Walker, A. C. Am. J. phys. Anthrop. 92, 139–148 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Fleagle, J. G., Rasmussen, D. T., Yirga, S., Bown, T. M. & Grine, F. E. J. hum. Evol. 21, 145–152 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Patterson, B., Beherensmeyer, A. K. & Sill, W. D. Nature 226, 918–921 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ferguson, W. W. Primates 24, 397–409 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Ferguson, W. W. Primates 25, 519–529 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Ferguson, W. W. Primates 28, 258–265 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ferguson, W. W. Primates 30, 383–387 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Lovejoy, C. O. Science 211, 341–350 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Lovejoy, C. O. in The Origin and Evolution of Humans and Humanness (ed. Rasmussen, D. T.) 1–28 (Jones and Bartlett, Boston, 1993).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    Tim D. White

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Hongo, Tokyo, 113, Japan

    Gen Suwa

  3. Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Sports Affairs, Paleoanthropology Laboratory, PO Box 5717, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Berhane Asfaw

Authors
  1. Tim D. White
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gen Suwa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Berhane Asfaw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

White, T., Suwa, G. & Asfaw, B. Australopithecus ramidus, a new species of early hominid from Aramis, Ethiopia. Nature 371, 306–312 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/371306a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/371306a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation