Posted on 04/05/2006 10:32:31 AM PDT by PatrickHenry
Paleontologists have discovered fossils of a species that provides the missing evolutionary link between fish and the first animals that walked out of water onto land about 375 million years ago. The newly found species, Tiktaalik roseae, has a skull, a neck, ribs and parts of the limbs that are similar to four-legged animals known as tetrapods, as well as fish-like features such as a primitive jaw, fins and scales.
These fossils, found on Ellesmere Island in Arctic Canada, are the most compelling examples yet of an animal that was at the cusp of the fish-tetrapod transition. The new find is described in two related research articles highlighted on the cover of the April 6, 2006, issue of Nature.
"Tiktaalik blurs the boundary between fish and land-living animal both in terms of its anatomy and its way of life," said Neil Shubin, professor and chairman of organismal biology at the University of Chicago and co-leader of the project.
Tiktaalik was a predator with sharp teeth, a crocodile-like head and a flattened body. The well-preserved skeletal material from several specimens, ranging from 4 to 9 feet long, enabled the researchers to study the mosaic pattern of evolutionary change in different parts of the skeleton as fish evolved into land animals.
The high quality of the fossils also allowed the team to examine the joint surfaces on many of the fin bones, concluding that the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints were capable of supporting the body-like limbed animals.
"Human comprehension of the history of life on Earth is taking a major leap forward," said H. Richard Lane, director of sedimentary geology and paleobiology at the National Science Foundation. "These exciting discoveries are providing fossil 'Rosetta Stones' for a deeper understanding of this evolutionary milestone--fish to land-roaming tetrapods."
One of the most important aspects of this discovery is the illumination of the fin-to-limb transition. In a second paper in the journal, the scientists describe in depth how the pectoral fin of the fish serves as the origin of the tetrapod limb.
Embedded in the fin of Tiktaalik are bones that compare to the upper arm, forearm and primitive parts of the hand of land-living animals.
"Most of the major joints of the fin are functional in this fish," Shubin said. "The shoulder, elbow and even parts of the wrist are already there and working in ways similar to the earliest land-living animals."
At the time that Tiktaalik lived, what is now the Canadian Arctic region was part of a landmass that straddled the equator. It had a subtropical climate, much like the Amazon basin today. The species lived in the small streams of this delta system. According to Shubin, the ecological setting in which these animals evolved provided an environment conducive to the transition to life on land.
"We knew that the rocks on Ellesmere Island offered a glimpse into the right time period and the right ancient environments to provide the potential for finding fossils documenting this important evolutionary transition," said Ted Daeschler of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, a co-leader of the project. "Finding the fossils within this remote, rugged terrain, however, required a lot of time and effort."
The nature of the deposits where the fossils were found and the skeletal structure of Tiktaalik suggests the animal lived in shallow water and perhaps even out of the water for short periods.
"The skeleton of Tiktaalik indicates that it could support its body under the force of gravity whether in very shallow water or on land," said Farish Jenkins, professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University and co-author of the papers. "This represents a critical early phase in the evolution of all limbed animals, including humans--albeit a very ancient step."
The new fossils were collected during four summers of exploration in Canada's Nunavut Territory, 600 miles from the North Pole, by paleontologists from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, the University of Chicago and Harvard University. Although the team has amassed a diverse assemblage of fossil fish, Shubin said, the discovery of these transitional fossils in 2004 was a vindication of their persistence.
The scientists asked the Nunavut people to propose a formal scientific name for the new species. The Elders Council of Nunavut, the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, suggested "Tiktaalik" (tic-TAH-lick)--the word in the Inuktikuk language for "a large, shallow water fish."
The scientists worked through the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth in Nunavut to collaborate with the local Inuit communities. All fossils are the property of the people of Nunavut and will be returned to Canada after they are studied.
The team depended on the maps of the Geological Survey of Canada. The researchers received permits from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth of the Government of Nunavut, and logistical support in the form of helicopters and bush planes from Polar Continental Shelf Project of Natural Resources Canada. The National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society, along with an anonymous donor, also helped fund the project.
sometimes I loathe FR - it keeps me awake when I really need to be asleep.
anyway, let me start off by clearing up a poorly worded statement - the simulated combatants themselves didn't do anything, as they didn't exist even as much as being the products/calculations of individually tasked processors. AFAIK, all tens-of-thousands of the simulated combatants were the calculations of a single computer, based on the files it had on each individual's characteristics. sorry for having posted so gross an error.
next: "In that it assumes as true (valid) the very thing that remains to be tested, falsified, or "proved." I.e., that simulacra have free will, such that they can, for example, willingly flee a battlefield."
no. I did explicitly state that I do NOT consider this unanticipated result an example of free will. it was, however, an unplanned and unexpected complexity of organization.
lastly: were CS Lewis alive today and active on FR CREVO threads, he might argue against the ToE, but he'd at least (very likely) trouble himself to learn what the ToE says and does not say. If more folks here did so, these threads would be a LOT less nasty.
now, at long last, I really *am* going to bed
(What was it that science observed? I didn't get it)
You posted something to me earlier about "something being my opinion" While sometimes I may state my opinion as a matter of thought, or to provoke thought in others, I stay as far away as possible from arguing with it. I do this for two reasons: one; it's only of real value to me, two; you guys will tear me to shreds.
I thought you were responding to a previous post in which someone had challenged somebody to give intelligent design, or whatever else it can be called, an argument based on inductive reasoning. I stayed clear of my opinion in doing this.
Sorry about the mix up.
Truly, I sped right over that assertion that God could lie because it is absurd on the face. He is not "in" space/time and thus when He says a thing, it is. The Scriptures declare that God cannot lie, that He speaks of the end from the beginning, that Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, that our names are recorded in the book of life from the foundation of the world and so on.
God cannot lie.
There is much more I'd love to say, but as you have noted - this thread is now in the backroom.
Is that a trick question?
Which question? I ask alot. The trickiest I can think of today would be when I posted definitions for guided, as opposed to unguided, law, and force. Then asked if the term unguided force is an oxymoron. It's not really a trick question, just a brain twister. Or, as I like to say, something to think about.
One observation might be that those countries where religion has suppressed science they remain poor. The US has been the exception but we are a maturing countries. If you are old enough to remember the differences of science and religious were of little concern until the late 70's. Since then with TV and the growth of fundamentalism science has been attacked. Many would discredit it in the schools and restrict knowledge. The number of students studying science has dropped and our world standing of high school performance in math and science has dropped from number one to 24 out of the top 25 countries in the world. We graduate but 70 thousand PH D's in math and science a year and more than half seek opportunity in other countries.
China graduates 500 thousand a year and India another 300 thousand. Our students rank first in high esteem and are taught that their faith and belief and opinion is the most important thing. Look at the Muslims, for centuries they suppressed science, allowed no new knowledge, think themselves superior, and allow no other beliefs than their own. They have high esteem but live in a decayed society and a IQ mean of 89. the US mean IQ has decreased from 100 to 97 in the last 25-30 years.
There is a hard core movement to establish a religion of state in the US and it has had some success. A republic or democracy is still a relative new thing considering history. Before the early middle ages most Monarchies had a religion of state and the progress of science was restricted. Nothing could be taught without the approval of religion and any opposing could be put to death. Religion does not seek new knowledge, it seeks to protect it's philosophy of faith and belief with little or no change. Science is always a threat because a increase in knowledge forces changes in faith and belief. More change has been forced on religion in the last 400 years than in all the years before that is of our history. Thoughts of cars, planes, going to the moon, TVs, radios, bathing suits and numerous other things would have made one a heretic and eligible for the death penalty. Thats it for now.
"Evolution is a observed fact, the explanation of the observed fact (evolution) is the Theory of Evolution."
Who observed it? Obviously no one did, evolution is based on interpretation of available data. Depends on the interpreters agenda.
"Humans didn't evolve from lungfish. But they did (likely) evolve from this thing or something similar."
I thought we evolved from monkeys? But then why are there still monkeys around?
We have fish today that walk on land.
"You spoke so knowledgeably about the content later on yet you breezed on past it earlier.
Were you aware that you do post contradictory material with a great deal of regularity."
No, because it isn't true.
"What I find exceedingly pathetic is your tendency to describe as "lies" those things with which you disagree."
Examples please. I do see you are getting a little... testier now. Take a deep breath. Count to ten.
"You're a DU troll aren't you? That's their standard technique."
But maybe being a DU troll is really being a Freeper. Maybe YOU'RE the DU troll, and don't know it. You yourself said that there is no such thing as objective reality. That the people who believe in objective reality and objective truth are communists and fascists. How would you know the difference?
Your meltdown is complete. You're left with only paranoid, postmodernist ramblings. Thanks for the entertainment. :)
We agree!
NIV Luke 13:22-28
22. Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.
23. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them,
24. "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
25. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, `Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, `I don't know you or where you come from.'
26. "Then you will say, `We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'
27. "But he will reply, `I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'
28. "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
NIV John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
I saw it and I'm INCENSED!!!
Dissin' us WHITE FOLK that way!
Jus' 'cause there's SO many more white on welfare than others, gives her no RIGHT to say bad disparaging remarks about us!
There are SO many masters......
Sounds like he had a limited amount of cousins!
As an aside, we have, in our church, (indianapolis) a lady who used to go to Jim Jones church here. [This was before he left the midwest and went to California - then to Guyana.]
She says his preaching was ok in the early days...
Well that's just purrfect!
Don't most of them; after a while?
Sigh....
This amoung the E adherant, too! ;^)
I think a lot of the fuss is NOT over what the ToE says; but about what many folks think that it IMPLIES!
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