Who was I Burned?

Probably at this point, many of you are already informed on the special edition that the popular magazine Science has dedicated the Ardipithecus ramidus, a possible forefather of ours. I emphasize possibly because in the means a series of errors has spread with regard to this hominino, like which he is the "lost link" or the most ancient "forefather of the man".
First of all, it is necessary to emphasize that this is not a recent discovery. The first fossil Ardipithecus ramidus remains were found in 1992-1993 and they received his scientific name in 1994. With the time there have been discovered new fossils of the same species, all in the region known as Depression of Afar, in Eastern Africa. On the other hand, I Burned it is the name that has happened to the most finished fossil of the opposing ones, which corresponds to a female.

Looking for reliable information I came across with a very good article of the blog The PaleoFreak who answers to all the doubts that can arise about the recent news of Ardi. I quote three of the most beetling:

Is it I burned the most ancient forefather of the man?
No. The expression "more ancient forefather of the man", so handled, does not mean anything, has no sense. Although the Ardipithecus was really ours forefather there had always to be an even more ancient forefather, and even more ancient other, etc., up to coming to the origin of the life.
Is it at least the fossil of the most ancient hominid?
Neither. I burned he lived 4,4 million years ago, but there is big quantity of fossils of much more ancient hominids. For example, the Orrorin has between 6.1 and 5,8 million years. The Sahelanthropus is dated in 7 million years. Also simians are hominids under the current classification like the Sivapithecus, of hace between 8.5 and 12,5 million years.
Then Did not I Burn it is not the most ancient of anything? Does not it have any record outstanding?
Yes. I burned it is the most ancient fossil skeleton that is known for the time being of a hominino. The homininos (clado Hominina) are a group that includes the human beings and several nearby extinct species, but neither not to the chimpanzees nor to other simians. The homininos are biped, except the most primitive, which theoretically might be quasi-bipeds or even quadruped. The most ancient homininos that I Burned are not represented by remains so finished that there could be called "skeletons". That's why Ardi is compared by Lucy, the classic skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis of 3,2 million years ago.

I recommend to read them the finished article in The PaleoFreak.
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