Comment on the paleobiology and classification of Ardipithecus ramidus

Abstract

White and colleagues (Research Articles, 2 October 2009, pp. 64-106 and www.sciencemag.org/ardipithecus) reported Ardipithecus ramidus as an exclusive member of the human lineage post-African ape divergence. However, their analysis of shared-derived characters provides insufficient evidence of an ancestor-descendant relationship and exclusivity to the hominid lineage. Molecular and anatomical studies rather suggest that Ar. ramidus predates the human/African ape divergence.