Ardipithecus ramidus landscape. Artwork of Ardipithecus ramidus male and female hominids (right) climbing a fallen branch and standing in an African forest during the Pliocene. A. ramidus is one of several extinct hominid species that form part of the human evolutionary tree. It lived around 4.4 million years ago. The first fossil of A. ramidus, 'Ardi' (1994), was found at the Aramis site in Ethiopia's Afar depression. Animals shown here include elephants and a warthog. For a similar scene, see C015/5363.