Before Lucy came Ardi

The story of humankind is reaching further back to 4.4 million years ago in what is now called Ethiopia and the subject found has been given a name, “Ardi.” The gender is a female and the weight approximately 110 pounds and estimated to be 4 foot tall. C. Owen Lovejoy of Kent State University a well known anthropologist has said that the older skeleton reverses the common wisdom of human evolution. Rather than humans evolving from the ancient chimp like creatures, this new find provides that chimps and humans have common ancestors and each evolved and changed separately along time. Tim White, director of Human Evolution Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley states; “This is not that common ancestor, but it’s the closest we have ever been able to come. The lines evolved into modern human and living apes probably shared an ancestor 6-7 million years ago.” There was 125 pieces for scientist to reassemble the skeleton. As stated at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091001/ap_on_sc/us_sci_before_lucy , Ardi was found in Ethiopia’s Afar Rift, where they have found many other fossils and skeletal remains from the wooded environment of that period. There were fossils of 29 different kinds of species of birds and 20 other different kinds of small mammals. Ardi’s upper canine teeth are stubby, which resembles more human characteristics and not chimpanzees. As the scientist analyzed the enamel from the tooth it was found that the diet of this creature was one of fruit, and other foods as nuts and leaves.

I have for many years not believed in the theory of man coming from ape, it is not in my religious belief and when I saw this article I was interested in reading what new discovery that was found. As knowing and believing my ancestry wasn’t from a chimpanzee, doesn’t keep me from seeing and reading and even finding what new things that has been dug up and discovered of the many millions of years ago.

I in no way have changed my thought that humans did not come from chimps, and this article did not sway my thinking in any manner regarding this. Even with Ardi’s feet being rigid enough for walking but still having that big toe for grasping and climbing, gives no proof that this is the remnants of man.

My belief of not coming from chimps have not changed and this article did not sway it in any manner but I do find all new finds of the past millions of years ago, I just don’t feel now nor ever can it be hooked to man.