Overview
The earlier and earlier and more basal species of Ardipithecus, known from teeth, a partial mandible, hand bones, foot bones, and a clavicle. A toe bone suggests bipedal locomotion. Originally described as a subspecies of Ar. ramidus but elevated to species status based on more basal dental features, particularly the larger and more ape-like canines.
Key Fossils
ALA-VP-2/10 (mandible), toe bone, hand bones
Brain Anatomy
No Cranial Data Available
No cranial remains or endocasts have been recovered for this species, so brain morphology cannot be directly assessed.
Tools & Technology
No Tool Associations
No stone tools have been directly associated with this species in the archaeological record.
Diet
Likely omnivorous
Genetics & Ancient DNA
| Genome Coverage | % |
|---|---|
| DNA Source | |
| Sequencing Year | |
| mtDNA Available | No |
| Nuclear DNA | No |
| Divergence Date (fossil calibrated) | 5.5 MYA |
Ar. kadabba: no DNA; divergence vs chimps per TimeTree-style priors not directly measured.
Molecular clock data from TimeTree 5 (Kumar et al. 2022).
Fossil Occurrences
The Paleobiology Database records 1 fossil occurrence(s) attributed to Ardipithecus kadabba. View on map →
| Identified As | Location | Formation | Age (MYA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardipithecus kadabba | ET | Adu-Asa | 11.63 – 3.60 |
Data from the Paleobiology Database (CC-BY).
Scientific References
- (2001). "Late Miocene hominids from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia". Nature 412:178-181. DOI:10.1038/35084063 (372 citations)