Posted on 04/04/2010 1:26:05 PM PDT by jerry557
The new species of hominid, the evolutionary branch of primates that includes humans, is to be revealed when the two-million-year-old skeleton of a child is unveiled this week.
Scientists believe the almost-complete fossilised skeleton belonged to a previously-unknown type of early human ancestor that may have been a intermediate stage as ape-men evolved into the first species of advanced humans, Homo habilis.
Experts who have seen the skeleton say it shares characteristics with Homo habilis, whose emergence 2.5 million years ago is seen as a key stage in the evolution of our species.
The new discovery could help to rewrite the history of human evolution by filling in crucial gaps in the scientific knowledge.
Most fossilised hominid remains are little more than scattered fragments of bone, so the discovery of an almost-complete skeleton will allow scientists to answer key questions about what our early ancestors looked like and when they began walking upright on two legs.
--snip--
The fossil record of early humans is notoriously patchy and scientists now hope that the that the new remains will provide fresh clues about how our species evolved.
Scientists believe that a group of apelike hominids known as Australopithicus, which first emerged in Africa around 3.9 million years ago, gradually evolved into the first Homo species.
Over time the Australopithicus species lost their more apelike features as they started to stand upright and their brain capacity increased.
Around 2.5 million years ago Homo habilis, the first species to be described as distinctly human, began to appear, although only a handful of specimens have ever been found.
It is thought that the new fossil to be unveiled this week will be identified as a new species that fits somewhere between Australopithicus and Homo habilis.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The start of the Democrat party?
Is this from Aril Fools Day?
“The start of the Democrat party?”
Darn you are quick!
Does it have a birth certificate?
“Does it have a birth certificate?”
No. It it is “Husseinus Obamus” latin for Big Eared Mutant and does not require one to be a legitimaste primate of the unfortunate scientists (POTUS).
the long lost bloodline of the homo habilis has been found-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwL4tBdz0Fs
The paleontologists must be really busy, this is the fourth or fifth missing link that has been discovered in the last two days.
Balderdash.
Another Piltdown man? Another hoax in the making?
Everybody knows that the basis of “modern man” was the result of a cloning experiment by aliens, splicing together the DNA of chimpanzees with selected segments of swine DNA.
Which accounts for a lot, really.
Must resist...posting...picture....*bites hand*
I heRD THEY DISCOVERED A SKELETON IN SF CALLED HOMO PELOSIUS
OOOH THAT IS EVIL LOL
It doesn’t matter when they find it, they like to unveil it right around Easter, or maybe Christmas.
I thought they determined that skeleton wasnt human at all??
How many times has this piece of crap been printed here on FR?
they found it was a hominid called homo stupidus.
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