New 'missing link' found in human evolution, 47M years old

[Pulsar]

This story is getting quite some media attention: a 47-million-year-old common ancestor between prosimians (lemurs) and anthropoids (monkeys, apes and humans) has been found.

From sciencedaily:

Scientists have found a 47-million-year-old human ancestor. Discovered in Messel Pit, Germany, the fossil, described as Darwinius masillae, is 20 times older than most fossils that explain human evolution.

Known as "Ida," the fossil is a transitional species, it shows characteristics from the very primitive non-human evolutionary line (prosimians, such as lemurs), but is more related to the human evolutionary line (anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes and humans). At 95% complete, the fossil provides the most complete understanding of the paleobiology of any Eocene primate so far discovered.

Full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519104643.htm

And they clearly spared no expense: they created a website http://www.revealingthelink.com/,

and BBC will broadcast a documentary on the 26th of May, narrated by good ol' Sir David Attenborough.

It seems to be a big deal; a bit overly dramatic, but maybe I'm getting too used to hearing news about 'revolutionary finds'. Anyway, evolution prevails again!

 

[Nelson]

Interesting. I did not know the link between those groups was so old. I guess I'm not up to date on my primate fossils, I'm just so used to hearing about fossils after the common ancestor between chimps and humans.

 

[DarwinsOtherTheory]

[RayComfort] That's just a monkey with a big tail, god made all sorts of weird looking creature, that's not a missing link! [/RayComfort]

I'm pretty sure that's what he and all the creationists are going to say.

 

[Pulsar]

[RayComfort] That's just a monkey with a big tail, god made all sorts of weird looking creature, that's not a missing link! [/RayComfort]

Reply from the scientific community: "Ray who?"

 

[Pulsar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ2mqA7HG1E

 

[kafka_off_the_beach]

I read about this on NY Times online and wanted to see more...I guess the 1 day wait was worth it. =)

Neat stuff. Much more interesting than some myth about a skydaddy who created everything when he was trying to heat up a flan. "Oh hell, there it is, the Big Bang"-James Mason as God, as told by Eddie Izzard.

 

[buzzausa]

That is very exciting news.
I particularly like the fact that they studied the fossil for 2 years before going public with it.
Of course, as some of you pointed out already..this will fall on deaf creationist ears...I mean it is clearly just a monkey right? :roll:

 

[irmerk]

The war of misinformation and disinformation by creationists will soon surge to greater heights in terms of evolution. Of course they will deny this and deny that, declare it a monkey and declare it a fake, falsely date it and make up sources. It is just a continuation of an almost definitely willful supreme ignorance of the academic community, the scientific process and evolution itself.

 

[Pulsar]

It's now all over youtube (let the flamewars begin!). Best0fScience has the most extensive coverage:

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWp1ppkUvdk


Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygljRTbxdc4


Meanwhile, the scumbags of Answers In Genesis have started their propaganda machine:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/05/19/ida-missing-link.
No surprises there:

1: Nothing about this fossil suggests it is anything other than an extinct, lemur-like creature.

2. A fossil can never show evolution.

3. Similarities can never show evolution.

4.. The remarkable preservation is a hallmark of rapid burial.

5. It's not a transitional form, it's strikingly similar to organisms we see today.

6. Evolutionists only open up about the lack of fossil missing links once a new one is found. So are they admitting the evidence was missing until now (supposedly)?

In other news, water is still wet. :roll:

 

[buzzausa]

Did you see point number 5 in the Answerin Genesis site?

"If evolution were true, there would be real transitional forms."

I guess they're still waiting for scientists to show them a crocoduck....


:roll:

 

[Aught3]

If a fossil can never show evolution why do they keep parroting on about them being 'missing'?

 

[Brunks]

So it was hanging from sopme guy's wall for the past 20 years. Kind of makes you wonder what other rare finds are collecting dust on some attic somwhere.

 

[Lunar Sonata]

[RayComfort] That's just a monkey with a big tail, god made all sorts of weird looking creature, that's not a missing link! [/RayComfort]

I'm pretty sure that's what he and all the creationists are going to say.

Now now Ray. Nevermind all this primate hoopla. Just please once explain your theory why the shapes of bananas proves god exists.

 

[Pulsar]

The full BBC documentary is now on Youtube. Well worth seeing.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBiF41FeLlM
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqoJAIJ1TzE
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czBOlyLEi64
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RAy5vTvEbs
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAPRUl_yna8
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4x419oiymk

Part 1:

 

[lightbulbsun88]

4.. The remarkable preservation is a hallmark of rapid burial.

What the fuck does that even mean? Are they implying that it's a fake?

 

[Pulsar]

4.. The remarkable preservation is a hallmark of rapid burial.

What the fuck does that even mean? Are they implying that it's a fake?

Well, to quote the funny fundies:

Team member Jà¸rn Hurum of the University of Oslo said, "This fossil is so complete. Everything's there. It's unheard of in the primate record at all. You have to get to human burial to see something that's this complete." Even the contents of Ida's stomach were preserved. While the researchers believe Ida sunk to the bottom of a lake and was buried, this preservation is more consistent with a catastrophic flood.

Shows you how a creationist's conditioned mind works: well-preserved fossil -> proof of the Flood!
It's some sort of Pavlov effect (*). Happens in a brain with a missing link.

(*) I hereby apologize to all canines for this unfortunate metaphor. It was not my intention to compare your wonderful species to creationist bitches (**).
(**) Again, apologies.

 

[Pulsar]

Yet another one to add to the family:

New Hominid 12 Million Years Old Found In Spain, With 'Modern' Facial Features

Synopsis from sciencedaily:

(June 2, 2009) , Researchers have discovered a fossilized face and jaw from a previously unknown hominoid primate genus in Spain dating to the Middle Miocene era, roughly 12 million years ago. Nicknamed "Lluc," the male bears a strikingly "modern" facial appearance with a flat face, rather than a protruding one. The finding sheds important new light on the evolutionary development of hominids, including orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and humans.