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.

[RunningWolf]

We are everywhere

Hmmm welll Okay.., just which one of you is speaking for the rest of you right now?

Good luck in the democratic primary

Wolf

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"Good luck in the Democrat primary... You will need it."

Only you would latch on to the most obnoxious, silliest posts by anti-evos, Mordo.

" I won't mention your not-so-secret obsession. :)"

Please do. Don't hold back.

" But you ARE amusing in a childish trivial manner. :)"

Whatever you say Mordo.

" Hmmm welll Okay.., just which one of you is speaking for the rest of you right now?"

Coming from a retread poster, that's funny. Wonder who you were before you told the mods off and told them to stop your account when you were Mordo.

" Good luck in the democratic primary"

Now you're parroting atheist/antievos.

So sad, Mordo. :)

[RunningWolf]

Mordo it is now? Well okay CG I mean mordo, mordo it is for you.

Will there be other alters that pop up for mordo in your place CG or for mordor.. just who is it going to be?

Only you would latch on to the most obnoxious, silliest posts by anti-evos, Mordo.

Well you might be onto something there mordo, er CG. And even more bizarre, you are talking to your one of alters on a public forum.

I won't mention your not-so-secret obsession. :) And there is no need to btw, You will get to it well soon enough sadly. :)

Good luck in the democratic primary.., you will need it CG er uh mordo mordor or who ever you are.

Wolf

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"Mordo it is now?"

Good one, Mordo.

" Will there be other alters that pop up for mordo in your place CG or for mordor.. just who is it going to be?"

It's well known that you are the same poster Mordo who told off the mods in late august because of their alleged bias towards evos and who demanded his account be stopped, then you signed up as RunningWolf a week later pushing the same arguments, third person tics, and side interest in military airplanes (which you genuinely seem to know something about). I've been calling you Mordo for months... you just caught on today? lol You ARE slow. :)

" I won't mention your not-so-secret obsession. :) "

How lame. I don't mind. Tell everybody. I don't care. Unless.... you just made it up like you do everything? :)

" Good luck in the democratic primary.., you will need it CG er uh mordo mordor or who ever you are."

Now you're just acting bizarre. You're aping the ad hominems of an atheist-anti-evo.

Even for you, Mordo, that's bad.

[Fruit of the Spirit]

How do they determine "gender" from a skull? From what I understand, it's the pelvis that determines sex...at least that's what coroners use.

Creationism is based on faith, the same way your evolution is. However, the history of the Bible has been under intense scrutiny, exhaustive studies and numerous archaeological finds. If that isn't science, I don't know what is.

[Coyoteman]

How do they determine "gender" from a skull? From what I understand, it's the pelvis that determines sex...at least that's what coroners use.

Half the time coroners ask archaeologists.

There are a lot of traits on the skull that can help in sex determination, and as you might suspect they are not going to give a 100% determination.

Things like the angle of the jaw, the shape of the chin, the size and prominence of the mastoids, the shape of the cranial base, overall size and robusticity, all can be used for estimates.

With some of the earlier hominid fossils it is a little easier as there were greater differences (dimorphism) between the sexes. With folks like Paranthropos the differences seem to have been huge.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I am not the one with a mouse in his pocket...

[RunningWolf]

I know

[RunningWolf]

I won't mention your not-so-secret obsession. :)

Well mordo er uh CG, its your obsession and apparently it is a secret. In any event its not my choice to reveal it. But oth, you have established that you are 'a multiple'

Oh and uh mordo I mean uh CG. Just how many people Stalin had killed who promoted Darwin and natural selection because they promoted Darwin and natural selection and not because he thought they opposed him or were a threat in some other way.

This should be quick and easy, for apparently you speak for Stalin also.

Wolf

[Diddle E. Squat]

Tiny scraps of paper consisting of these letters were recently found in an attic in the Congo:


V

lim

12

p


Our brilliant anthropologists have concluded that these are the remains of the original draft of 'War and Peace'. Billions of possibilities, but they are certain that this is the right guess. Why what other possible conclusion could be made from such a voluminous batch of evidence? And of course anyone who might dare be the least bit skeptical is just a superstitous ignorant foolish bigot in denial.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

What I find very interesting is someone who would accuse me of being a “Christian Taliban” (CG) before they even knew I was an atheist.

Now admittedly, I am extremely biased in favor of Jews and have militant Zionist sympathies... I make no apologies for this, nor do I have to just because I am an atheist.

I will point out that it is not really the hatred for Christians (which they do have) that drives these people - - it is hatred for the Judaic roots of Christendom. They just pile hate upon Christians as a proxy...

[Coyoteman]

Tiny scraps of paper consisting of these letters were recently found in an attic in the Congo:

V

lim

12

p

Our brilliant anthropologists have concluded that these are the remains of the original draft of 'War and Peace'. Billions of possibilities, but they are certain that this is the right guess. Why what other possible conclusion could be made from such a voluminous batch of evidence? And of course anyone who might dare be the least bit skeptical is just a superstitous ignorant foolish bigot in denial.

Not all data is that fragmentary. What do you think of this one?

[One of those "anthropologists"]

---

Herto skulls (Homo sapiens idaltu)

Some new fossils from Herto in Ethiopia, are the oldest known modern human fossils, at 160,000 yrs. The discoverers have assigned them to a new subspecies, Homo sapiens idaltu, and say that they are anatomically and chronologically intermediate between older archaic humans and more recent fully modern humans. Their age and anatomy is cited as strong evidence for the emergence of modern humans from Africa, and against the multiregional theory which argues that modern humans evolved in many places around the world.

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/herto.html

[Diddle E. Squat]

I'm not drawing conclusions one way or the other. This find could indeed by the 'missing link'. Or not. But it is going to take more than just a jaw here and skull there to give that theory enough substantiation. If it is correct, it will test out in other finds as we go forward.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

" won't mention your not-so-secret obsession. :)"

Because you made it up. :)

" In any event its not my choice to reveal it. "

Because you made it up. :)

"But oth, you have established that you are 'a multiple'"

I have? Prove it. Provide even the smallest evidence. This should be good. :)

"Just how many people Stalin had killed who promoted Darwin and natural selection because they promoted Darwin and natural selection and not because he thought they opposed him or were a threat in some other way."

Look up Lysenko. This info has been provided to you before.

" This should be quick and easy, for apparently you speak for Stalin also."

When I quote someone, or I mention an historical figure, I am know *speaking* for them? What a weird form of logic you have!

BTW, it's not a secret to anybody that you are the banned poster Mordo. I have been calling you Mordo for months and months... and you never objected. You feigned *Who, me??* isn't fooling anybody.

[RunningWolf]

Its like I suspected then. Whats going on is well outside of atheism, hatred as you say. You as an avowed atheist do not carry this hatred.

I think you probably have it calibrated correct here

// it is not really the hatred for Christians (which they do have) that drives these people - - it is hatred for the Judaic roots of Christendom. They just pile hate upon Christians as a proxy//

Wolf

[RunningWolf]

Prove that you are a multiple to you mordo er CG? How can I do that? Apparently none of your multiples acknowledge each other, Yeh I'm good but I'm not that good!!

If you really want the help, there are places to go but you might be there awhile. :)

//Just how many people Stalin had killed who promoted Darwin and natural selection because they promoted Darwin and natural selection and not because he thought they opposed him or were a threat in some other way//

Don't answer that for me, do it for the lurkers, if you can that is. It remains to be seen.

No one is fooling anybody, except you are fooling yourself with that dead dead-end illusion of a theory CG. Take your solace and guidance in the scientific method, Darwin, and your RAH quotes

Wolf

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"Prove that you are a multiple to you mordo er CG? How can I do that? Apparently none of your multiples acknowledge each other, Yeh I'm good but I'm not that good!!"

Provide even the tiniest shred of evidence for it. Or admit you lied.

" Don't answer that for me, do it for the lurkers, if you can that is. It remains to be seen."

You have been given the info.

[RunningWolf]

You are 'the evidence' :)

Now if I were you this would be the time to say 'I struck a nerve' and 'how happy it makes' but I am not and am not so I wont

For the lurkers mordo/mordor/CG for the lurkers, Your case is for the lurkers. Which btw you are making a very poor one for the cause.

Wolf

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"You are 'the evidence' :)"

Of me being multiple people? Riiiiight.

" Now if I were you this would be the time to say 'I struck a nerve' and 'how happy it makes' but I am not and am not so I wont"

Struck a nerve? I don't even know what the hell you are talking about. I don't think you do either.

"For the lurkers mordo/mordor/CG for the lurkers, Your case is for the lurkers. Which btw you are making a very poor one for the cause."

Still pretending I have not been calling you Mordo for months now and you have not once denied it?

You've made me laugh before Easter dinner; thanks!

[JCEccles]

ID and Evolution Theory Pop Quiz

(True or False)

1. Intelligent design is based on the creation account in the biblical book of Genesis.

2. Scientists have created new varieties or species of organisms in laboratory settings.

3. Scientists know factually and can demonstrate scientifically that all new species arise by natural selection.

4. All the fossil evidence of the evolution of homo sapiens can be fitted into a footlocker.

5. Some hominid fossils consist of a single tooth or other bone fragment that is used to describe the gross physical structure of an entire genus or species.

6. Scientists have proven that homo hibilis and homo erectus are ancestral or intermediate species in a lineage of primates leading directly to homo sapiens (that is, scientists can show that these are not separate and distinct species that died out without leaving descendents).

7. The theory that intelligence inheres in, or is an emergent property of, matter of sufficiently complex order or design is not a scientifically respectable theory.

8. Scientists have, through carefully designed and controlled laboratory experiments, shown that it is possible to create conditions under which simple amino acids (complex molecules associated with life) can form.

9. Scientists have shown that it is possible to generate meaningful prose from random letters by using carefully designed computer software that preserves only those letters in each iteration of the program cycle that satisfy predetermined criteria of syntax and sentence structure.

10. Evolution is a practical, well-grounded and factual theory whose proponents are very careful to keep from the errors of conjecture and speculation.

The answers to 1 through 9 are: False, True, False, True, True, False, False, True, True.

Careful readers will discern conclusions and insights that are much deeper and broader than the surface appearances.

The answer to question 10 I will leave open for debate.