Fossil Find Is Missing Link in Human Evolution, Scientists Say

National Geographic News ^ | April 13, 2006 | John Roach

[Senator Bedfellow]

When the famous skeleton of an early human ancestor known as Lucy was discovered in Africa in the 1970s, scientists asked: Where did she come from?

Now, fossils found in the same region are providing solid answers, researchers have announced.

Lucy is a 3.5-foot-tall (1.1-meter-tall) adult skeleton that belongs to an early human ancestor, or hominid, known as Australopithecus afarensis.

The species lived between 3 million and 3.6 million years ago and is widely considered an ancestor of modern humans.

The new fossils are from the most primitive species of Australopithecus, known as Australopithecus anamensis. The remains date to about 4.1 million years ago, according to Tim White, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley.

White co-directed the team that discovered the new fossils in Ethiopia (map) in a region of the Afar desert known as the Middle Awash.

The team says the newly discovered fossils are a no-longer-missing link between early and later forms of Australopithecus and to a more primitive hominid known as Ardipithecus.

"What the new discovery does is very nicely fill this gap between the earliest of the Lucy species at 3.6 million years and the older [human ancestor] Ardipithecus ramidus, which is dated at 4.4 million years," White said.

The new fossil find consists mainly of jawbone fragments, upper and lower teeth, and a thigh bone.

The fossils are described in today's issue of the journal Nature.

Found Links

According to White, the discovery supports the hypothesis that Lucy was a direct descendent of Australopithecus anamensis.

[hosepipe]

[ Then you better stop and put it down. You equated pygmies with baboons and gorillas. That WILL follow you around FR. :) ]

Nope.. only in yer mind I did.. I'm not sure but I think I've never used those two words in a post on FR before.. except cutting and pasting them here in this this thread..

No doubt your WRONG about many other things.. I'm sure of it..

[Leatherneck_MT]

Yeah another missing link to fit the missing link parts that were missing in all of the other missing link parts.

Who's crazy?

[thomaswest]

Quoting from 208: Radiometric dating is an important tool for getting exact ages. The other forms of dating (stratigraphic, fauna and flora, etc.) can establish relationships: this layer is older than that layer. When you have a lot of layers, that is extremely useful information, as it allows a cross-check on other methods.

You always post accurate information, and I get informed. Dendrochronolgy can be added.

The age of the rocks on planet Earth is extremely well established. And on our nearby moon. Our little planet is about 4.6 billion years since its formation. The evidence is clear, and to deny this is to deny everything we know in physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy. I see nothing that negates an admiration for our Universe in accepting these understandings. Indeed, it is a tribute to our human intellects that we humans have been able to reject ancient myths and figure this out.

Our planet may be small, but there are those of us who love it.

[Iscool]

There is exactly zero evidence that anyone went to "heaven", no matter what their faith-belief.

According to the bible which is also the oldest history book we have, over 500 eyewitnesses saw and talked to Jesus after he was confirmed dead...A few people saw him rise toward Heaven...

That's quite a number of eyewitnesses...And it was enough to turn millions of people to Christianity...Besides, the odds are in the bible's favor...

[stands2reason]

You think God has a physical body like a man?

You don't think he was talking about making man's SOUL in his image? That seems more likely to me than the idea that God has a poorly designed back and earlobes and nosehair and armpits.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

" Nope.. only in yer mind I did."

No, you were very clear about it. I don't blame you for being ashamed of it. I would have been too.

" No doubt your WRONG about many other things.. I'm sure of it.."

Perhaps. But not about this. :)

[jec41]

Bad move.. I know about diamonds.. you'll loose.. both ways..

I would doubt that, thats why I said diamonds. However would you suppose one can tell the differences in diamonds and not bones. Most experts can generally tell you where a diamond is mined just by observation.

[Alter Kaker]

Yeah another missing link to fit the missing link parts that were missing in all of the other missing link parts.

Huh?

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"According to the bible which is also the oldest history book we have..."

Not even close.

[stands2reason]

I have lots of great ideas for novels. Just can't write fiction worth beans.

You too, huh? I kinda wish there were some job openings for muses out there...

[DesScorp]

"It just make them disrespect you."

Perhaps YOU don't understand, Mam. They don't respect us now, and never will. To them, we're knuckle-dragging mystics, scared of the dark and relying on superstition.

[Iscool]

But the evidence says it took a LOT longer...

I disagree...As far as I am concerned, the evidence suggests some things were there before God replenished the earth with His Genesis creation...

You may notice that God did not say he created the earth on the first day...He created 'light' on the fisrt day of the Genesis creation...The earth was already there...And He didn't say how long it's been there...

[baltoga]

No mention of tithe, but that is interesting. NG suggested that at the time there were many competing gospels and Christians were facing extreme persecution from the Romans.

Ultimately the selection came down to picking four gospels which a majority of Christians could identify with to establish a consistent message of belief.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"I disagree...As far as I am concerned, the evidence suggests some things were there before God replenished the earth with His Genesis creation..."

What does that mean?

"You may notice that God did not say he created the earth on the first day...He created 'light' on the fisrt day of the Genesis creation...The earth was already there...And He didn't say how long it's been there..."

So... instead of 6 days it could have been longer...

[hosepipe]

[ I would doubt that, thats why I said diamonds. ]

You forgot the lunch.. I didnt

[jec41]

That's quite a number of eyewitnesses...And it was enough to turn millions of people to Christianity...Besides, the odds are in the bible's favor...

Greek Mythology had many more wittiness. Hundreds saw Mercury on one fly by.

PARENTAGE OF HELIOS
"And Theia was subject in love to Hyperion and bare great Helios (Sun) and clear Selene (Moon) and Eos (Dawn) who shine upon all that are on earth and upon the deathless Gods who live in the wide heaven." - Hesiod, Theogony 371

"The lordly sun-god Helios Hyperionides (Son of Hyperion)." - Homer, Odyssey 12.168

"Glowing Helios (Sun) whom mild-eyed Euryphaessa (Wide Shining), the far-shining one, bare to [Hyperion] the son of Gaia (Earth) and starry Ouranos (Heaven). For Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphaessa, his own sister, who bare him lovely children, rosy-armed Eos (the Dawn) and rich-tressed Selene (the Moon) and tireless Helios (the Sun) who is like the deathless gods." - Homeric Hymn 31 to Helios
.

"The Titanes had children ... Hyperion and Theia had Eos (Dawn), Helios (Sun), and Selene (Moon)." - Apollodorus, The Library 1.8-9

"From Hyperion and Aethra [were born]: Sol [Helios], Luna [Selene], Aurora [Eos]." - Hyginus, Preface

---

T19.12 "The Procession of the Day"
Apulian Red Figure Krater C4th BC
Munich, Staatliche Antiksammulungen

Detail: Eosphoros the dawn-star leads the chariots of Eos the dawn and Helios the sun into the sky, bringing forth a new day
T17.3 "The Chariot of the Sun"
Athenian Red Figure Column Krater C5th BC
Agrigento, Museo Archeologico Regionale

Detail: Helios the sun drives a biga (two-horse chariot) drawn by winged steeds

---

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF HELIOS
"[Helios the Sun] rides his chariot, he shines upon men and deathless gods, and piercingly he gazes with his eyes from his golden helmet. Bright rays beam dazzlingly from him, and his bright locks streaming from the temples of his head gracefully enclose his far-seen face: a rich, fine-spun garment glows upon his body and flutters in the wind: and stallions carry him. Then, when he has stayed his golden-yoked chariot and horses, he rests there upon the highest point of heaven, until he marvellously drives them down again through heaven to Okeanos." - Homeric Hymn 31 to Helios

"All the Children of Helios were easy to recognise, even from a distance, by their flashing eyes, which shot out rays of golden light [like their father's]." - Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.726

"He made his way direct into the presence [of Helios] and there stood afar, unable to approached the dazzling light. Enrobed in purple vestments Phoebus [Helios] sat, high on a throne of gleaming emeralds." - Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.20

"Sol [Helios the Sun] puts on his diadem of myriad rays and the corselet woven of twelve stars [the zodiac constellations] and bound by the belt which athwart the rain-clouds shows for men its many hued bow." - Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4.90

"He [Helios] placed the golden helmet [of the Sun] on Phaethon’s head and crowned him with his own fire, winding the seven rays like strings upon his hair, and put the white kilt girdlewise round him over his loins; he clothed him in his own fiery robe and laced his foot into the purple boot, and gave his chariot to his son." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 38.90

---

HELIOS & THE GENESIS OF ANIMALS
In the early days of the universe when Ouranos (Sky) and Gaea (Earth) had been driven apart by the Titanes, the sun-god Helios shone for the first time upon the earth. And from the warm, bubbling mud sprouted life - plants and animals sprung fully grown.

"Nondescript monsters, fitted with miscellaneous limbs, were once produced spontaneously by Ge (Earth) out of the primeval mud, when she had not yet solidified under a rainless sky and was deriving no moisture from blazing Helios (the Sun). But Khronos (Time), combining this with that, brought the animal creation into order." - Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.673

"Helios, the myth tells us ... caused the water which had overflowed it [the island of Rhodes] to disappear. But the true explanation is that while in the first forming of the world the island was still like mud and soft, the sun dried up the larger part of its wetness and filled the land with living creatures." - Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5.56.3

"When [after the Great Deluge] Tellus (the Earth) deep-coated with the slime of the late deluge, glowed again beneath the warm caresses of shining Sol (the Sun), she brought forth countless species, some restored in ancient forms, some fashioned weird and new." - Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.434

"Khthon (the Earth), milling out from Helios (the Sun) the shine of his newmade brightness upon her all-mothering breast [at the first dawn]." - Nonnus, Dionysiaca 41.82

Diodorus Siculus also providess a good description of the sun-created bubbles of mud that birthed the very first animals (not currently quoted here).

---

HELIOS INVENTOR OF THE FOUR-HORSE CHARIOT
Helios was regarded as the inventor of the four-horse chariot, a natural association given the belief that the sun-god drove such a vehicle daily across the sky.

"Jupiter [Zeus] seeing that he [Erikhthonios] first among men yoked horses in four-horse chariots, admired the genius of a man who could rival the invention of Sol (the Sun), who first among the gods made use of the quadriga." - Hyginus, Astronomica 2.13

---

HELIOS & DEMETER'S SEARCH FOR PERSEPHONE
"Then she [Persephone] cried out shrilly with her voice, calling upon her father [Zeus] [when Haides seized her and carried her off to the underworld] ... No one, either of the deathless gods or mortal men, heard her voice, nor yet the olive-trees bearing rich fruit: only [Hekate] ... heard the girl from her cave, and the bright lord Helios Hyperionides (the Sun) ...
They [Demeter and Hekate in their search for the stolen Persephone] came to Helios, who is watchman of both gods and men, and stood in front of his horses: and the bright goddess enquired of him: 'Helios, do you at least regard me, goddess as I am, if ever by word or deed of mine I have cheered your heart and spirit. Through the fruitless air (aitheros) I heard the thrilling cry of my daughter whom I bare, sweet scion of my body and lovely in form, as of one seized violently; though with my eyes I saw nothing. But you - for with your beams you look down from the bright upper air (aitheros) over all the earth and sea - tell me truly of my dear child if you have seen her anywhere, what god or mortal man has violently seized her against her will and mine, and so made off.'
So said she. And Hyperionides [Helios] answered her: 'Queen Demeter, daughter of rich-haired Rheia, I will tell you the truth; for I greatly reverence and pity you in your grief for your trim-ankled daughter. None other of the deathless gods is to blame, but only cloud-gathering Zeus who gave her to Aides [Haides], her father's brother, to be called his buxom wife. And Aides seized her and took her loudly crying in his chariot down to his realm of mist and gloom. Yet, goddess, cease your loud lament and keep not vain anger aunrelentingly: Aidoneus, the Ruler of Many, is no unfitting husband among the deathless gods for your child, being your own brother and born of the same stock: also, for honour, he has that third share which he received when division was made at the first, and is appointed lord of those among whome he dwells.'
So he spake, and called to his horses: and at his chiding they quickly whirled the swift chariot along, like long-winged birds." - Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter 19

"She [Demeter] roams the heaven, too [in search of Persephone], and accosts the Stars free of limpid Oceanus near the chilly pole: ‘Parrhasian Stars (you can know everything, since you never sink beneath Oceanus’ stream), show this wretched parent her daughter, Persephone.’ She spoke. Helice replies this to her: ‘Night is guiltless. Consult Sol (the Sun) on the virgin’s rape. He gazes far and wide on the day’s deeds.’ Sol (the Sun) is approached. ‘Don’t waste time,’ he says, ‘You seek the bride of Jove’s brother [Haides], the third realm’s queen." - Ovid, Fasti 4.575

[hosepipe]

[ Perhaps. But not about this. :) ]

Yes you are(WRONG).. and not 90% but 100%...

[CarolinaGuitarman]

" Yes you are(WRONG).. and not 90% but 100%..."

No, you equated pygmies with baboons and gorillas. There was no ambiguity in your post. I can understand your need to distance yourself from what you said. I'd be ashamed too, IF I said what you did. :)

[stands2reason]

"I'm 37. I'm not old." - Dennis from MPATHG

[JNL]

LOL, the greatest miracle is how he put it all together. I don't get creationism. The clockwork, beautiful machine that evolution is, is a much greater accomplishment than, here gents, here it is, it's complete". How friggin boring is that. Change isn't a bad thing. except to those who want it all to stand still.

Rant off/ off the saopbox.