Burmese Fossil Indicates Apes Arose in Asia, Not Africa

AP ^ | 7/1/2009

[james500]

Fossils recently discovered in Burma could prove that the common ancestors of humans, monkeys and apes evolved from primates in Asia, rather than Africa, researchers contend in a study released Wednesday.

...

The pieces of 38 million-year-old jawbones and teeth found near Bagan in central Burma in 2005 show typical characteristics of primates, said Dr. Chris Beard, a paleontologist at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh and a member of the team that found the fossils.

"When we found it, we knew we had a new type of primate and basically what kind of primate it was," Beard said in a telephone interview from Pittsburgh. "It turns out that jaws and teeth are very diagnostic. ... They are almost like fingerprints for fossils like this."

The findings were published in the Proceedings of The Royal Society B, a London-based peer-reviewed journal.

...

Stony Brook University Prof. John G. Fleagle, a paleontologist, said the discovery of Ganlea is important because it shows how several different primates found in Burma are related and provides interesting suggestions about a unique dietary specialization.

But he said the Burmese fossils do little to prove whether anthropoids evolved in Asia or Africa — or even whether Ganlea was an anthropoid or an early relative of lemurs.

"This doesn't add anything new about whether anthropoids came from Africa or Asia or the broader evolutionary relationships of these particular primates ," Fleagle said.

"The definitive features that would resolve it in people's mind would be in the skull," he said. "Without a skull to demonstrate the distinctive anthropoid features of the eye and ear regions, scientists will still continue to debate whether the dental similarities just indicate similar diets or are the result of a common heritage."

[james500]

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/06/29/rspb.2009.0836.short?rss=1

[Bruinator]

“Fossils recently discovered in Burma could prove that the common ancestors of humans, monkeys and apes evolved from primates in Asia, rather than Africa, researchers contend in a study released Wednesday.”

Right off the bat, the premise is all wrong.

[patriot08]

It was the U.S.

[April Lexington]

Simple logic would suggest that humans arose from the place with the highest density of current population. Like China or India. Folks have been there longest and, notwithstanding catastrophe, in a macro sense, this is where the highest number should be. If mankind were 25 million years old, the population of the Earth would be in the trillions.

In my humble opinion....

[Jeff Chandler]

Missing Rink?

[PzLdr]

It was the DNC

[oneamericanvoice]

Hmmm. This might explain why I like Asian food.

[ciwwaf]

Thats not how it works. Human population because it has no predators grows rapidly until it reaches it’s carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is high in a place with lots of food, living space, etc and low in a place like a desert.

You are thinking of exponential growth when population is actually logistical growth.

[April Lexington]

Could be. But, given a large enough area and the fact that any destructive threat would be localized, I would think that, over the space of a continent, the population would be densest where it is oldest. Locally, I think you are correct but, continent wide, I think the total population would be able to overcome local destructive events. Also, using birthrate data, the population should be multiples higher over a 25 million year time period. Geometric, linear or localized. We've doubled the world's population in my lifetime (according to the UN) and I'm simply not that old!

I'm curious to know if anyone has OBJECTIVELY modeled human population growth from the pre-historic period to present. If OBJECTIVE analysis could possibly be used in this highly political field, it may shed some scientific light on the theory.

[April Lexington]

Also, why would humans emerge from a desert unless stress makes them think better to survive.

[YHAOS]

Really?!

Who Knew?

[blackminorca]

Na - that monkey originally came from Massachusetts

[Candor7]

Not true, they arose in Kenya and we have one in the White House.

[Leo Carpathian]

[ciwwaf]

Populations do not work that way.

If you want to learn more look here:

“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistic_equation#In_ecology:_modeling_population_growth";

You are thinking of exponential growth like in bank accounts or radioactive decay. Which are very different.

[April Lexington]

Wikipedia!?! How about a scientific journal or two!

[ciwwaf]

Wikipedia is great for math and physics. Almost everyone I know uses it for engineering. and I read through that part to make sure it was accurate. A scientific paper would be debating additional variables or constants added into an equation like for over fishing.

BTW a different type of population model is used for predator/prey and looks really pretty.
the equations that are used in this video are as simple as

dx/dt = -ax + bxy dy/dt = cx - dxy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN2H16869Vo

[April Lexington]

Wow! Wikipedia is the scourge of academia because it is not peer reviewed and can be manipulated for political ends. It is not academic. We flunk our students for using Wikipedia as a major source. I hope those engineers aren't designing anything I use!

[April Lexington]

Historically, on Wall Street, investments in debt and equity were made based on human instinct and judgment of human behavior (quality and success of management, etc.) Then, Microsoft perfected electronic spreadsheets. Then Quants happened and then, in 2007, Wall Street and the global financial system melted down because Quants can make spreadsheets say anything they want them to say. And.... Swiss bankers, among others, want so badly to believe, that, well, they believe. Then, $15 trillion plus in net worth evaporates because they looked at "simple formulas" instead of using their heads. Really, how can a Swiss banker EVER think an illegal alien in Southern California with no job can afford a $1 million mortgage? The "simple formula" said risk had been sliced and diced and sold off and made to disappear. Then, wham... all of the smart Quants got wiped out.

My point is, formulas don't mean diddly...