The oldest human ancestor infant is “Dikika”, who died from unknown causes aged three and whose skeletal remains were discovered 3.3 million years later on 10 December 2000 by a team lead by paleoanthropologist, Zeresenay Alemseged (Ethiopia) in Dikika, in the Afar Depression of Ethiopia. The fossilised remains of the hominid infant include a skull, a complete torso, fingers and a foot, and is the most complete skeleton of her species, Australopithecus afarensis – that is the same species as 3.2 million-year-old Lucy, an adult female skeleton discovered only 10 km (6 miles) away in 1974.

Studies of Dikika’s skeleton suggests that from the waist down, she was bipedal and resembled current humans, however her small brain-size, some facial and finger features are like those of a chimpanzee; her shoulder blades are similar to a young gorilla, meaning it is likely Dikika climbed trees.