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This skeleton, called Ardipithecus ramidus, was found in 1994 in Ethiopia's Awash River valley—a region known as a “layer cake” of geological formations spanning millions of years. The complete skeleton, astonishingly intact, marked a scientific milestone because most fossils from such ancient times are fragmentary. The thoroughly preserved remains, including a skull, hands, feet, and parts of the limbs, offered an unprecedented window into early human ancestors.