Ardipithecus is a very early hominin genus (subfamily Homininae) which lived about 4.4 million years ago during the early Pliocene.

Because this genus shares several traits with the African great ape genera (genus Pan and genus Gorilla), some consider it to be on the chimpanzee rather than human branch, but most consider it a proto-human because of a likeness in teeth with Australopithecus.

Photo: Speculative reconstruction of Ardipithecus ramidus