Reprinted with permission from the BBC (bbc.co.uk)
Pre-Reading Questions: Keep a look out for these details when reading! Then, after you’ve read, fill in the answers.
how old are the fossils said to be?
what element of the fossil suggests that this creature not only COULD walk upright but frequently DID walk upright?
why does Doctor Isabelle De Groote find this discovery fascinating?
Reading Comprehension Questions: Now that you’ve read the piece, answer these questions!
Why is this discovery a significant event?
Because it proves that there were multiple prehumen species living in the same area at the same time.
Because it suggests that there may be another species of humans.
Because it proves evolution is true.
Because it is upsets current theories about human evolution.
What is the relation of this fossil to the famous “Lucy”?
It is a near-identical specimen
It is a completely unrelated specimen
Both fossils share a human-like arch that makes for human like motion
The bone joints were similar and suggest both were early species capable of walking upright.
How do we know this creature could walk on the ground?
We have found fossilized footprints that match the bones.
The bones are arranged in such a way that the foot can push/toe off.
Its legs were too long to allow movement on all fours.
It had no arms.
What makes a formal classification of the animal impossible?
The lack of skull and dental fossils.
The lack of a pelvic skeleton.
The lack of other, supporting fossils.
Nothing; it has already been formally classified as Ardipithecus Ramidus.
What can this fossil tell us?
How the bi-pedal foot evolved
How human beings evolved separately from Neanderthals
About the relationship of human beings to other primates
Nothing we didn’t already know before.
Summary: Now that you’ve answered the questions, use them to compile a summary. Remember, you want to hit on the main ideas, explaining who (or what) did what when and where, as well as (if possible) why they did it. After that, explain what’s happened as a result and what might happen in the future.
Vocabulary: define the following words using context clues. Explain how you arrived at the definition from the surrounding information.
