Anthropologists have found the remains to what they classified as a distinct genus they called Ardipithecus. Ardipithecus has many characteristics that some may consider to be a hominid but there are also some evidence that point to the other direction that Arditpithecus is not a hominid. It is the most apelike hominid ancestor known (Boaz and Almquist, 2002). Ardipithecus is the earliest potential hominid found so far and was discovered in Ethiopia in 1994 by Tim White and his colleagues.
             So where exactly were these fossils found? These fossils were found in a dense forest with a relatively cool and wet climate. In contrast, early hominids were found in a savannalike setting (Boaz and Almquist, 2002). The origin of bipedalism took place in the savanna. Our ancestors were more adapted in opened grasslands. They left the trees and become bipedal. Bipedalism is considered the essential feature of being human. Therefore, from this I can conclude that Ardipithecus is not a hominid. However, there could be that little chance that Ardipithecus did migrate to the forest bipedally or because there was a climate change, which caused the forest to turn into a savanna. On the other hand, Bernard Wood, a professor of human origins at George Washington University, is questioning whether bipedalism is considered to be the defining characteristic of being human. After all, all birds have wings, but not all creatures with wings are birds. From this analysis, it would make it still too difficult to accept the fact that it could be a hominid. Yet, due to the discovery of Ardipithecus fossils, the answer to the question of whether it is a hominid or not was answered.
             Tim White and his colleagues did not have much to work with. It was nothing like Don Johanson's discovery of Lucy. However, it was enough for them to conclude that Ardipithecus is not a hominid. The evidence accumulating right before their eyes told them tha...