Maybe they found it in a dinosaur "dump".
Not 10 million, or 15 million, or 12.5 million, or "more than X million", but exactly 14 million. I see. Pardon my skepticism.
eye-rolling ping
LOL!
Probably a radical vegetarian.
[Edited for clarity]
Prehistoric skull found in dump may (opinion) be missing common ancestor of apes & humans
The Guardian ^ | Monday November 7, 2005 | Dale Fuchs in Madrid
Palaeontologists excavating a dump outside Barcelona have found a skull dating back 14m years that could (opinion) belong to a common ancestor(opinion) of apes and humans.
The nearly intact skull, which has a flat face, jaw and teeth, may (opinion) belong to a previously unknown species of great ape, said Salvador Moya, the chief palaeontologist on the dig. "We could (opinion) find a cradle of humanity in the Mediterranean," he said.
A routine land survey for a planned expansion of the Can Mata dump in Els Hostalets de Pierola turned up the first surprise in 2002: a primate's tooth.
Since then, scientists from the Miquel Crusafont Institute of Palaeontology in Sabadell have unearthed nearly 12,000 fossils of primates and other animals that lived during the Middle Miocene era - between 14m and 8m years ago - when the area was covered by tropical rainforest and populated by the precursors of today's elephants, antelopes and monkeys.
Last year, the team found a 13m-year-old partial skeleton, also believed (opinion) to be a common ancestor of apes and humans - a male fruit-eater, nicknamed Pau.
"If there is a place in the world where it is possible (opinion) to find an entire skeleton of a common ancestor (opinion) to the great apes and humans, it is Hostalets de Pierola," Mr Moya told El País newspaper. "In few places [will] you uncover (opinion) so many connected vertebrae in such good condition."
The Can Mata dump sits above clay soil in which animal remains became trapped and well-preserved.
It sounds as if Bill Mayer died recently.
Alas, poor Yorick.
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So a very ancient species of an ape was found. That is an interesting find. To judge it it based on the article title is a HUGE assumption. Lets sit back and test the find before assuming it a common ancestor between human and ape.
Coulda, shoulda, woulda, it is a theory, nothing more, nothing less.
God decided that this particular model didn't work as planned. Chuck it on the trash pile!
Back to the drawing board.