Genomicron: Humans vs. chimps -- neither is an offshoot.

The analysis of Ardipithecus ramidus (it means "root of the ground ape"), reported in the journal Science, changes the notion that humans and chimps, our closest genetic cousins, both trace their lineage to a creature that was more like
Ardipithecus ramidus: 4.4 million year primate fossil 'shows us what we used to be' (Prof. Tim White, UC Berkeley to the BBC). Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/4nLkwp. FOM: Fossil finds extend human story and Ardipithecus ramidus.
This story is currently the lead on the front page of The Star. It concerns Ardipithecus ramidus and an article in Science that puts forward that chimpanzees are evolutionarily more advanced than homo sapiens. The Star article says that