These remains are among the oldest hominid remains ever found.

"Like a bad-tempered old hominid, it needs love and attention."

"All older hominids have been found in forested environments."

Skull fossil is 'oldest hominid'

Lucy, the oldest and most complete hominid ever found, was famous and Ethiopia was tipped to claim the prize as the cradle of humanity.

Once reconstructed, the scientists involved say, it will be the most complete skeleton of such an old hominid.

Ethiopia is also known as the Cradle of Mankind, after the bones of the world's oldest hominid were discovered in the Afar region.

Scientists came upon the fossil bones last year in sediments that had previously been dated at 500,000 years old, back to the time of the earliest recognized European hominids.

The next oldest hominid appears to be the 6-million-year-old Orrorin tugenensis, found two years ago in Kenya but not yet fully accepted by many scientists.

This is the oldest hominid.