Ardi

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ardi

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Ardipithecus ramidus
2. What is the age?Approximately 4.4 million years old
3. What is Ardi and why is she special?Ardi is a 4.4-million-year-old fossil of a species called Ardipithecus ramidus. She is the most complete early human ancestor fossil found, giving scientists a clear picture of how our ancestors looked and moved.
4. How did Ardi walk and climb?Ardi had a pelvis that helped her walk upright, but her feet still had a big toe that could grab branches, so she could climb trees and walk on the ground.

Hominin: A group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species, and all our immediate ancestors.
Arboreal: Adapted to living in trees, characterized by features like grasping hands and feet.
Phylogeny: The evolutionary history and relationships among groups of organisms.