An interesting article by Cerling et al. (2010) discusses the geologic evidence associated with the potential habitat preferences and paleoenvironment associated with Ardipithecus ramidus at Aramis, Ethiopia. Originally, anthropologists (i.e., White et al., 2009) thought that Ar. ramidus likely occupied habitats and a paleoenvironments dominated with trees and shrubs (i.e., more arboreal in nature). Cerling's research in this paper, based upon an analysis of stable carbon isoptopes in the paleosoils describes data that indicates that--
"...the environmental context of Ar. ramidus at Aramis to be represented by what is commonly referred to as "tree or bush savanna" with 25% or less woody canopy cover. The habitats involved probably ranged from riparian forest to grassland."
Cerling, Thure E. et al (2010) Comment on the Paleoenvironment of Ardipithecus ramidus Science 328:1105. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/328...