Remains of ‘oldest biped’ found

The bones were found three weeks ago in Ethiopia’s Afar region, at a site some 60 kms from Hadar, where Lucy — one of the first hominids — was discovered in 1974.

The Leakey Foundation, which funded the research on Lucy, describes her skeleton as a 40 per cent intact skeleton dating back to 2.8 million years, but other palaeontological sources have said she may be as old as 3.2 million years.

Latimer and his Ethiopian colleague D Yohanneshaile-Selassie said the newly discovered skeleton had been determined to be capable of walking upright on two feet because of the nature of the ankle bone. ‘‘I couldn’t explain in detail how it walked yet,’’ Latimer said, ‘‘but looking at the ankle, we know it is a biped.’’

Researchers at the site in northeast Ethiopia have in all unearthed 12 hominid fossils, of which parts of one skeleton were discovered. ‘‘Portions recovered thus far include a complete tibia, parts of a femur, ribs, vertebrae, a clavicle, pelvis, and a complete scapula of an adult,’’ Latimer said. —PTI