Discovering Ardi

Gr 7 Up—The 1994 discovery of the female hominid skeleton, Ardipithecus ramidus (Ardi), and the subsequent 15 years it took to piece her together is captured in this documentary detailing the field work at Middle Awash located in the northeastern region of Ethiopia. Divided into eight chapters, archival footage of the excavation along with interviews with scientists offer first-hand information regarding the tedious process of uncovering the 125 pieces of the 4.4 million-year-old skeleton as well as insight into the relationship of the ancient paleoenvironment to the study of evolution. Formulations during the scientific lab work provide a visual re-creation of Ardi in comparison to the human form. The first 60 minutes of the film includes a brief discussion of the previous discovery of "Lucy," a 3.2 million-year-old female hominid, and then focuses on the discovery and excavation of Ardi. The remainder of the documentary covers the dating of the remains and the outcome of the scientific investigation. The cinematography and narration are excellent, the content is engaging, and the segments featuring scientists are superb. Younger viewers may find the the vast amount of detailed information daunting. Most suitable for advanced students who already have an understanding of evolution—Linda M. Teel, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC