A virtual slice through the skull of Australopithecus sediba reveals a remnant of brain. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
Posted on 04/14/2010 7:55:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Remains of a 1.9-million-year-old human ancestor are so well preserved that they may contain a remnant of the male individual's brain, according to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, where the remains were recently examined. While DNA is very fragile and deteriorates over time, the discovery opens up the remote possibility that soft tissue with preserved DNA still exists in the prehistoric hominid, which could hold an important place on the human family tree. The examination also turned up what seemed to be fossilized insect eggs, according to scientists. They said larvae from the eggs could have fed on the flesh of the human ancestor, Australopithecus sediba, right after his death. While gazing at the hominid's skull as it was being studied with a powerful electromagnetic radiation X-ray process, project leader Lee Berger said he and his team were seeing "structures we can't even imagine in a way that's quite literally unprecedented in paleontological sciences."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
A virtual slice through the skull of Australopithecus sediba reveals a remnant of brain. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
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The server has been acting kinda jerky tonight. Anyway, this is the FOURTH topic about this, I like to think it's one of the four most interesting. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. |
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Well whaddaya know! Who knew brain farts would leave traces after lying dormant for so long? With DNA no less...
Imagine how bad they must smell after that much time...
I dunno Civ. I have brain farts all the time and haven't smelt one yet. Well, maybe just the slightest aroma of ozone from shorted out synapses. But it could just as easily be my imagination...
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In my opinion, if you find such a thing, it pretty much blows the whole "1.9 million years" dating system apart.
Is that like a thousand sows and bucks?
In other news, I heard that the turnout at the baseball season opener will be between 89 and 90,000.
Was his name Abby Normal?
That’s only 720,000. Oh, sorry. ;’)
In this connection, it should be noted that female brains this old have *never* been found. Before the wheel was invented, what did the primitive wife wreck and anger the primitive husband?
Ahaa!
A democrate with brains has finally been found!
Pull my virtual finger. :’)
No way Bevis!
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