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

Nature volume 371, pages 306–312 (1994)Cite this article

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.

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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

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  1. Tim D. White
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  2. Gen Suwa
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  3. Berhane Asfaw
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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

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