I wish you'd leave grandpa's grave alone, huh?
Posted on 03/24/2006 11:47:46 AM PST by The_Victor
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - A hominid skull discovered in Ethiopia could fill the gap in the search for the origins of the human race, a scientist said on Friday.
The cranium, found near the city of Gawis, 500 km (300 miles) southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, is estimated to be 200,000 to 500,000 years old.
The skull appeared "to be intermediate between the earlier Homo erectus and the later Homo sapiens," Sileshi Semaw, an Ethiopian research scientist at the Stone Age Institute at Indiana University, told a news conference in Addis Ababa.
It was discovered two months ago in a small gully at the Gawis river drainage basin in Ethiopia's Afar region, southeast of the capital.
Sileshi said significant archaeological collections of stone tools and numerous fossil animals were also found at Gawis.
"(It) opens a window into an intriguing and important period in the development of modern humans," Sileshi said.
Over the last 50 years, Ethiopia has been a hot bed for archaeological discoveries.
Hadar, located near Gawis, is where in 1974 U.S. scientist Donald Johnson found the 3.2 million year old remains of "Lucy," described by scientists as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world.
Lucy is Ethiopia's world-acclaimed archaeological find. The discovery of the almost complete hominid skeleton was a landmark in the search for the origins of humanity.
On the shores of what was formerly a lake in 1967, two Homo sapien skulls dating back 195,000 years were unearthed. The discovery pushed back the known date of mankind, suggesting that modern man and his older precursor existed side by side.
Sileshi said while different from a modern human, the braincase, upper face and jaw of the cranium have unmistakeable anatomical evidence that belong to human ancestry.
"The Gawis cranium provides us with the opportunity to look at the face of one of our ancestors," he added.
People who slept through all their science classes alert.
Everythng was fine in evolution until all these little gaps showed up, so it was downsized to microevolution. If they keep creating gaps like this they will end up at nanoevolution soon enough.
It's amazing how many Luddites show up just to ignore the evidence.
That does it. I am getting cremated. I do not want someone digging me up in 100,000 years and calling me a homo.
Hey Darwin ..your paleo proctologist called...
He found your head....
every time a scientists says "this proves we were wrong..." Science advances a bit. In this case I think it is more like "We were unclear about this spot - now we are less clear".
I wish you'd leave grandpa's grave alone, huh?
Now that's cute!
every time a scientists says "this proves we were wrong..." Science advances a bit. In this case I think it is more like "We were unclear about this spot - now we are less UNclear".
Been a long week.
....But just an suburban location for
"The World Wide ARAB Institute For Furthering SHARIA law????"....LOL..
"Skull discovery could fill origins gap"
The gap is bigger than you think.
How large is this gap, and how do you know this information?
Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species? Of course they would! And it would ALSO be ridiculous.
Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species? Of course they would! And it would ALSO be ridiculous.
With skeletal material scientists tend to look at morphology, rather than size. Little things, like dental morphology, can tell you a lot. The position of the foramen magnum can provide good information on posture and locomotion.
Really, there is a lot of science involved in this. (I do skeletal analysis as part of my work as an archaeologist.)
Grapa died after eating roast duck with mango salsa!
> I do skeletal analysis as part of my work as an archaeologist.
Ah. So you admit to being a biased scientist, just out looking to grub up government grants! Your opinions should be ignored.
(...says the aerospace engineer working for a NASA contractor)
"Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species?"
No.
"all from the same carbon dating period."
Carbon dating wasn't used here.
If you're at work, (on our dime,) and you're goofing off playing on FR, than "get back to work."
Says the on duty USPS guy
If I could be in a line of work where I could provide an answer such as "anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 years old" in response to a question like "how old is this skeleton," and GET PAID for that answer, I would have a much less stressful life.
Sheesh.
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