Editing Ardipithecus (section)

== Classification ==
Due to several shared characteristics with chimpanzees, its closeness to ape divergence period, and due to its fossil incompleteness, the exact position of ''Ardipithecus'' in the fossil record is a subject of controversy.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1038/nature09709 |pmid=21331035 |last1=Wood |first1= Bernard| last2=Harrison |first2= Terry| date=2011 |title=The evolutionary context of the first hominins |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=470 |pages=347–35 |bibcode=2011Natur.470..347W |issue=7334 |s2cid=4428052 }}</ref> Primatologist [[Esteban Sarmiento]] had systematically compared and concluded that there is not sufficient anatomical evidence to support an exclusively human lineage. Sarmiento noted that ''Ardipithecus'' does not share any characteristics exclusive to humans, and some of its characteristics (those in the wrist and basicranium) suggest it diverged from humans prior to the [[human–gorilla last common ancestor]].<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1126/science.1184148 |pmid=20508113 |title=Comment on the Paleobiology and Classification of ''Ardipithecus ramidus'' |journal=Science |volume=328 |issue=5982 |pages=1105; author reply 1105 |year=2010 |last=Sarmiento |first=E. E. |bibcode=2010Sci...328.1105S |doi-access= }}</ref> His comparative (narrow [[allometry]]) study in 2011 on the molar and body segment lengths (which included living primates of similar body size) noted that some dimensions including short upper limbs, and [[metacarpals]] are reminiscent of humans, but other dimensions such as long toes and relative molar surface area are [[great ape]]-like. Sarmiento concluded that such length measures can change back and forth during evolution and are not very good indicators of relatedness ([[homoplasy]]).<ref name=Sarmiento2011>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.jchb.2011.01.003 |pmid=21388620 |title=Behavioral and phylogenetic implications of a narrow allometric study of ''Ardipithecus ramidus'' |journal=HOMO |volume=62 |issue=2 |pages=75–108 |year=2011 |last1=Sarmiento |first1=E.E. |last2=Meldrum |first2=D.J. }}</ref>

However, some later studies still argue for its classification in the human lineage. In 2014, it was reported that the hand bones of ''Ardipithecus'', ''[[Australopithecus sediba]]'' and ''[[A. afarensis]]'' have the third metacarpal [[Radial styloid process|styloid process]], which is absent in other apes.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1073/pnas.1316014110 |pmid=24344276 |pmc=3890866 |title=Early Pleistocene third metacarpal from Kenya and the evolution of modern human-like hand morphology |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=111 |issue=1 |pages=121–4 |year=2013 |last1=Ward |first1=C. V. |last2=Tocheri |first2=M. W. |last3=Plavcan |first3=J. M. |last4=Brown |first4=F. H. |last5=Manthi |first5=F. K. |bibcode=2014PNAS..111..121W |doi-access=free }}</ref> Unique brain organisations (such as lateral shift of the carotid foramina, mediolateral abbreviation of the lateral [[Tympanic cavity|tympanic]], and a shortened, trapezoidal [[Occipital lobe|basioccipital]] element) in ''Ardipithecus'' are also found only in the ''Australopithecus'' and ''Homo''.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1073/pnas.1322639111 |pmid=24395771 |pmc=3903226 |title=Ardipithecus ramidus and the evolution of the human cranial base |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=111 |issue=3 |pages=948–53 |year=2014 |last1=Kimbel |first1=W. H. |last2=Suwa |first2=G. |last3=Asfaw |first3=B. |last4=Rak |first4=Y. |last5=White |first5=T. D. |bibcode=2014PNAS..111..948K |doi-access=free }}</ref> Comparison of the tooth root morphology with those of the earlier ''[[Sahelanthropus]]'' also indicated strong resemblance, also pointing to inclusion to the human line.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/ajpa.22400 |pmid=24242778 |title=Subocclusal dental morphology of ''Sahelanthropus tchadensis'' and the evolution of teeth in hominins |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |volume=153 |issue=1 |pages=116–23 |year=2014 |last1=Emonet |first1=Edouard-Georges |last2=Andossa |first2=Likius |last3=Taïsso Mackaye |first3=Hassane |last4=Brunet |first4=Michel }}</ref>

[[Evolutionary tree]] according to a 2019 study:<ref name="Parins2019">{{cite journal |last1=Parins-Fukuchi |first1=Caroline |last2=Greiner |first2=Elliot |last3=MacLatchy |first3=Laura M. |last4=Fisher |first4=Daniel C. |year=2019 |title=Phylogeny, ancestors and anagenesis in the hominin fossil record |url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/10/05/434894.full.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Paleobiology |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=378–393 |bibcode=2019Pbio...45..378P |doi=10.1017/pab.2019.12 |s2cid=196659329 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/10/05/434894.full.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09}}</ref>

{{clade| style=font-size:85%;line-height:85%
|label1=[[Hominini]]
|1={{clade
 |1=[[Chimpanzee]]
 |label2=''[[Sahelanthropus]]''
 |2={{clade
  |1={{clade
   |1='''''Ardipithecus'''''
   |label2=''[[Australopithecus anamensis|Au. anamensis]]''
   |2=''[[Australopithecus afarensis|Au. afarensis]]''
   }}
  |2={{clade
   |label1=''[[Paranthropus]]''
   |1={{clade
    |1=''[[Paranthropus aethiopicus|P. aethiopicus]]''
    |2={{clade
     |1=''[[Paranthropus boisei|P. boisei]]''
     |2=''[[Paranthropus robustus|P. robustus]]''
     }}
    }}
   |2={{clade
    |label2=''[[Australopithecus garhi|Au. garhi]]''
    |1=''[[Australopithecus africanus|Au. africanus]]''
    |2={{clade
     |1=''[[Homo floresiensis|H. floresiensis]]''
     |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Australopithecus sediba|Au. sediba]]''
      |2={{clade
       |1=''[[Homo habilis|H. habilis]]''
       |2=Other ''[[Homo]]''
       }}
      }}
     }}
    }}
}}}}}}}}