Final answer:
Ardipithecus ramidus was discovered in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and dates to about 4.4 MYA; its anatomical features suggest bipedalism and a connection to human evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The geographical area of discovery for Ardipithecus ramidus is the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This significant find was made by American paleoanthropologist Tim White in 1992. Ardipithecus ramidus has been dated to approximately 4.4 million years ago (MYA), placing it within the Pliocene era. Significant traits of A. ramidus, such as the forward position of the foramen magnum, small upper arm bones, thin dental enamel, and a reduced canine, support the hypothesis of bipedal locomotion on the ground and quadrupedal movement in trees.
Notably, the discovery of Ardipithecus and other early hominins like Australopithecus afarensis and Paranthropus aethiopicus, has been concentrated in East Africa, particularly in areas around the Great Rift Valley. The reduced canine of A. ramidus suggests less need for aggression and could indicate a shift in social behavior, highlighting the complexity of our ancestral tree and the importance of such fossil finds in our understanding of human evolution.