What kind of habitat did Ardipithecus ramidus live in at Aramis?

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skeleton of “Ardi” — Ardipithecus Reconstructed frontal view of the skeleton of “Ardi,” a specimen belonging to the early hominid species *Ardipithecus ramidus*.

At the Aramis site, Ardipithecus ramidus lived in a woodland environment approximately 4.4 million years ago.1

Geological and paleontological evidence indicates that the landscape was a broad, flat floodplain rather than a tropical forest or an open grassland savanna. This habitat supported a diverse array of fauna, including various snails, millipedes, birds, reptiles, and mammals such as porcupines and peafowl.1

The physical characteristics of Ar. ramidus were well-suited to this arboreal setting, as the species possessed long arms, long fingers, and a grasping big toe that allowed for effective climbing. While it was capable of some bipedalism, it was not as specialized for ground-based walking as later hominids, and its diet as a woodland omnivore relied heavily on the resources available within this environment.1