Ancient Jawbone Could Shake Up Fossil Record [ Australopithecus anamensis ]

National Geographic News ^ | Friday the 13th, July 2007 | Nick Wadhams

[SunkenCiv]

Jawbones from an early human ancestor, found recently in northeast Ethiopia, could shine light on a murky period of human evolution, paleontologists say. The bones were found in the fossil-rich Afar region, just 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of the spot where the famed skeleton of "Lucy" -- early human ancestor who lived 3.2 million years ago -- was unearthed in 1974... The new bones are believed to date from 3.8 million to 3.5 million years ago. Though more research needs to be done, the group says the bones could bridge the gap between two known human ancestor species. Australopithecus anamensis lived some 4.2 million to 3.9 million years ago, and Australopithecus afarensis -- the species to which Lucy belonged -- thrived from 3.6 million to 3 million years ago... Some researchers believe that Lucy and others of her species were descendants of A. anamensis -- and these new Ethiopian jawbones could end that speculation... "We have had isolated teeth and [other skeleton parts] from previous years. What we didn't have was a complete jaw, which we have now," he said... The earlier species, A. anamensis, had large canine teeth and a narrow jaw. When Lucy appeared, compared to A. anamensis, the jaw had widened, the canines had become smaller, and the molars had grown. Such changes suggest that the A. afarensis chewed, not tore, its food.

[js1138]

Saying a specific fossil is a “direct ancestor” is a bit like saying that since someone is of Austrian descent, Mozart must be a direct ancestor.

[Non-Sequitur]

Saying a specific fossil is a “direct ancestor” is a bit like saying that since someone is of Austrian descent, Mozart must be a direct ancestor.

I think it's a little more specific than that. We're talking about species and their predecessors.

[js1138]

I think it's a little more specific than that. We're talking about species and their predecessors.

Actually, that doesn't change what I said. Lucy's tribe could be cousins and not an ancestors.

[ASA Vet]

Thank you sir, that’s why one should always check with a subject matter expert.

[oldsalt]

When they invent time travel...

If time travel is possible then it has already been invented...nicht wahr?

[Tribune7]

Jawbones from an early human ancestor

If it's from a Democrat it could prove the story of Samson.

[4CJ]

The following chart illustrates how this can occur.

You choose to believe that your ancestors were apes, I'll believe that God created mine in His own image ;o)

[tet68]

Pretty gnarly molars there, the canines seem to be missing though.

[editor-surveyor]

That’s a lovely picture of a monkey mouth there; certainly not in any way human, by any contortion of the imagination.

[Elsie]

Ancient Jawbone Could Shake Up Fossil Record [ Australopithecus anamensis ]

Or not....

[SunkenCiv]

That was an incisive observation...

[tet68]

Touche.

Still it seems odd that an earlier ancestor would have such large molars if they were predominantly meat eaters.

[razzle]

This will end up as it always does, some Chinese peasant gluing together some old bones to make a buck off the idiot evos.

[LiteKeeper]

Don’t forget, evolutionist (particularly, evolutionary paleontologists) are master story tellers. Words like, “appears”, “could be”, “might be”, etc, are standard in their vocabulary.

[onedoug]

Physical anthropology/Biblical bump

[Coyoteman]

That’s a lovely picture of a monkey mouth there; certainly not in any way human, by any contortion of the imagination.

Wrong, as usual.

Did you note the angle of the two rows of teeth? Were they parallel, or more parabolic?

It makes a difference, you know.

Or, I guess you don't know.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[SunkenCiv]

I agree.

[taxesareforever]

Front teeth appear to be gone. Might have been a cob of corn eater.