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Oldest Human Skulls Found
BBC ^
| 6-11-2003
| Jonathan Amos
Posted on 06/11/2003 8:03:26 AM PDT by blam
Oldest human skulls found
By Jonathan Amos
BBC News Online science staff
Three fossilised skulls unearthed in Ethiopia are said by scientists to be among the most important discoveries ever made in the search for the origin of humans.
Herto skull: Dated at between 160,000 and 154,000 years old (Image copyright: David L. Brill)
The crania of two adults and a child, all dated to be around 160,000 years old, were pulled out of sediments near a village called Herto in the Afar region in the east of the country.
They are described as the oldest known fossils of modern humans, or Homo sapiens.
What excites scientists so much is that the specimens fit neatly with the genetic studies that have suggested this time and part of Africa for the emergence of mankind.
"All the genetics have pointed to a geologically recent origin for humans in Africa - and now we have the fossils," said Professor Tim White, one of the co-leaders on the research team that found the skulls.
"These specimens are critical because they bridge the gap between the earlier more archaic forms in Africa and the fully modern humans that we see 100,000 years ago," the University of California at Berkeley, US, paleoanthropologist told BBC News Online.
Out of Africa
The skulls are not an exact match to those of people living today; they are slightly larger, longer and have more pronounced brow ridges.
These minor but important differences have prompted the US/Ethiopian research team to assign the skulls to a new subspecies of humans called Homo sapiens idaltu (idaltu means "elder" in the local Afar language).
Herto reconstruction: What the ancient people might have looked like (Image copyright: J. Matternes)
The Herto discoveries were hailed on Wednesday by those researchers who have championed the idea that all humans living today come from a population that emerged from Africa within the last 200,000 years.
The proponents of the so-called Out of Africa hypothesis think this late migration of humans supplanted all other human-like species alive around the world at the time - such as the Neanderthals in Europe.
If modern features already existed in Africa 160,000 years ago, they argued, we could not have descended from species like Neanderthals.
"These skulls are fantastic evidence in support of the Out of Africa idea," Professor Chris Stringer, from London's Natural History Museum, told BBC News Online.
"These people were living in the right place and at the right time to be possibly the ancestors of all of us."
Sophisticated behaviour
The skulls were found in fragments, at a fossil-rich site first identified in 1997, in a dry and dusty valley.
Stone tools and the fossil skull of a butchered hippo were the first artefacts to be picked up. Buffalo fossils were later recovered indicating the ancient humans had a meat-rich diet.
The most complete of the adult skulls was seen protruding from the ancient sediment; it had been exposed by heavy rains and partially trampled by herds of cows.
SEARCH FOR HUMAN ORIGINS
The Herto skulls represent a confirmation of the genetic studies
The skull of the child - probably aged six or seven - had been shattered into more than 200 pieces and had to be painstakingly reconstructed.
All the skulls had cut marks indicating they had been de-fleshed in some kind of mortuary practice. The polishing on the skulls, however, suggests this was not simple cannibalism but more probably some kind of ritualistic behaviour.
This type of practice has been recorded in more modern societies, including some in New Guinea, in which the skulls of ancestors are preserved and worshipped.
The Herto skulls may therefore mark the earliest known example of conceptual thinking - the sophisticated behaviour that stands us apart from all other animals.
"This is very possibly the case," Professor White said.
The Ethiopian discoveries are reported in the journal Nature.
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: adamandeve; bloodbath; creationism; crevolist; darwin; darwinism; ethiopia; evolution; found; godsgravesglyphs; herto; homosapiensidaltu; human; missinglink; oldest; skulls
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
ABIOGENESIS
That slow process by which living organisms were spontaneously generated from non-living matter. This scientific fact should not be confused with the old discredited myth of spontaneous generation by which it was once foolishly believed that living organisms arose from non-living matter. (see Law of Biogenesis).
A.C.L.U.
An organization that zealously protects our American civil liberties by preventing students in public schools from considering scientific evidence that is either consistent with creation or critical of evolution.
BIG BANG
The mechanism, or at least the noise, by which all matter and energy came into existence billions of years ago.
BIOLOGY
The branch of the exact sciences which is exclusively concerned with the evolution of living organisms by means of random mutations and natural selection.
DROSOPHILA
The "guinea pig" of the evolutionist to which we all owe a debt of gratitude for our understanding of the role of mutations in evolution. Trillions of generations of these rapidly breeding little flies have had their wings crumpled and their eyes damaged by strong mutagenic agents to provide us with a genetic insight into how man evolved from the prehominid brutes in a few thousand generations.
EVOLUTION
A truly perfect scientific theory which explaims in detail how everything in the universe came into being -- slowly. The theory of evolutions is so perfect and flexible in its ability to explain virtually all observable phemomena or opinions that it would be impossible to even conceive of an experiment capable of disproving it. (see Law).
GEOLOGIC COLUMN
A precise hierarchy of fossilized animals and plants of known age found in successive layers of stratified rock with the simplest and oldest at the bottom and the most highly evolved, i.e., most recent, at the top. Uninterrupted columns of this type may be found in any book of geology, paleontology or evolution. Bits and pieces of the column may even be found in the stratified rocks of the earth, but since these layers are often out of correct order and very incomplete, one should study the geologic column in books, not nature.
HOPEFUL MONSTER THEORY
A concept first introduced out of necessity by the geneticist, Richard Goldschmidt, which states that evolution occurs by sudden and large changes in the offspring of a species resulting in radically different but well adapted organisms, i.e. "hopeful monsters." After being widely discredited for many years this idea is being reintroduced, out of necessity, as a serious theory. The great leaps forward implicit in this theory entirely account for the absence of the "missing links." (See Punctuated Equilibrium)
INDEX FOSSILS
Fossils of animals whose ages are precisely known from the age of the rocks in which they are found, thus, serving as a means for accurately dating the rocks in which they are found as well as the age of any other fossils that may be contained therein.
LAW
In science, a statement of fact about a sequence or phenomenon that has been invariably observed to occur under known conditions such as, for example, the theory of evolution. (see Evolution).
LAW OF BIOGENESIS
Simply states the obvious...that all life comes from pre-existing life. This law, which was confirmed by Redi and Pasteur, permanently laid to rest the ludicrous idea of the ignorant ancients that living organisms could spring from inanimate matter. It should be emphasized that this law in no way precludes the slow origin of living organisms from inanimate matter through the process of evolution - after all, we are here, aren't we? (see Abiogenesis).
LIFE
The only term in this dictionary that defies definition since it has been said that "the division of matter into living and nonliving is perhaps an arbitrary one. It is a convenient method for distinguishing, for instance, a man from a rock." (quoted verbatim from The Origins of Life, by Cyril Ponnamperuma, 1962, H. P. Dutton, New York, p. 36).
MICROSPHERES
Primitive cells which have been artificially synthesized from simple laboratory reagents. As the name implies, the principal similarity between microspheres and living cells is that both are small and sort of round.
MISSING LINKS
An inconceivably vast assemblage of plants and animals which are intermediate in their evolutionary development between all of the discrete kinds of plants and animals one sees either alive or in the fossil record. Unfortunately as the name implies they are missing.
MUTATIONS
A change in the genetic material (DNA) of the cell induced by hazardous chemicals or radiation which in addition to killing or maiming organisms will, given enough time and enough mutations, inexorably lead some organisms on to an ever more successful and adaptive life.
NATURAL SELECTION
That miraculous process by which incredibly complex and useful structures, such as the eye or brain, are culled out from a vast array of random and purposeless mutations. In the distant past this marvelous natural artificer has produced the whole scope of existence from molecules to man but today it appears to be limiting its activities to such mundane matters as controlling the relative numbers of white and black moths in England.
NEO-DARWINIAN EVOLUTION
An embellishment of the old Darwinian theory of evolution, it states that random changes (mutations) in the genome of an organism will be selected for, and thus contribute to the evolution of the new species, only if they ultimately lead to a greater number of offspring. Thus, an ever-increasing rate of reproduction entirely accounts for the evolution from bacteria to man.
ONTOGENY RECAPITULATES PHYLOGENY
A law first discovered by Ernst Haeckel which if pronounced correctly and with conviction, impresses laymen and students of science in the elementary grades. Simply stated, and thus less convincingly, it means that the embryos of all animals bother to provide a historical review of many stages of their evolution during their embryological development. Although this type of reminiscing is touching and is taught in almost every general science and biology text book, it is no longer accepted by scientists or even evolutionists.
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
A tree that grows mainly in textbooks of biology and which has a variety of both contemporary and fossil animals perched on the tips of its branches. This tree clearly shows how all of these animals branched off from common ancestors a long time ago. For some reason the common ancestors are never shown sitting in the crotches of the tree. Plants presumably grow on different trees which are rather rare.
PILTDOWN MAN
Once known by all true scholars of human evolution to be an ancient ancestor of man. This true "ape man" had the jaw of a modern ape and the skull of a modern man. Today this ape-man is not so well known among true scholars of evolution.
PRIMITIVE
Old, inferior, poorly adapted, less evolved, shoddy, bungling.
PROOF
The assimilation of data in such a way that the desired conclusion seems to be the most plausible hypothesis.
PROTOZOA
As the name implies, these are known to be the first true animals on earth. If these primitive organisms had continued to adapt to their changing environment they might still be with us today.
PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM
An ad hoc hypothesis or alibi that claims the reason there are no known transitional forms in the fossil record is because evolutionary changes occur so quickly and the reason we can't see evolutionary changes in the laboratory is because they occur so slowly. (see Hopeful Monster Theory).
RADIOCARBON DATING
A remarkably precise method of actually measuring the age of any carbon-containing sample. Except for certain spurious (young) dates, radiocarbon, like other methods involving the decay of radionuclides will, given several absolutely safe assumptions, invariably indicate a ripe old age for any specimen consistent with a slow process of evolution.
SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
One of the most fundamental laws of science which essentially states that nothing can increase in order, complexity, or information but rather everything form the universe to the one-horse shay will in time fall apart (not assemble). We may be sure, however, that the mind-boggling increase in order, complexity and information accomplished by the evolution of chemicals to man in no way violates this law or it wouldn't have happened.
SELECTIVE PRESSURE
That natural and highly selective pressure that actually forces particularly useful structures such as brains, eyes, legs, wings and long necks on giraffes to evolve by random mutations. Unnecessary structures such as eyelids on your navel fail to evolve by chance because there is no selective pressure for this.
SPECULATION
The single most powerful tool in the hands of the evolutionists.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
The most important contribution of Darwin to biological thought which states that only those organisms which are fit survive, or in other words, survival is the result of being fit. By this kind of logic it can also be proven that loss of vision is a principal cause of blindness.
THEISTIC EVOLUTION
The belief that the evolutionary account of origins (where everything ascends from a very imperfect state to a more nearly perfect state) and the Biblical account of origins (where everything descends from a perfect state to a very imperfect state) are both true.
TIME
That miracle ingredient which in sufficient quantity can give scientific credibility to any hypothesis no matter how improbable. It is a well- known axiom of science for example, that given enough time virtually anything is possible - indeed you might even say it has to happen.
TREE
That which only evolution can make. (see Phylogenetic Tree).
VESTIGIAL ORGANS
Organs or other body parts, left over from evolutionary ancestors, which are no longer used or needed by an organism that has become more highly evolved by abandoning organs and getting simpler. Seventy years ago man had nearly one hundred vestigial organs such as the parathyroid, tonsils, coccyx, etc., but today he has very few vestigial organs because a good use has been discovered for most of these organs.
XERDEMA PIGMENTOSA
A disease of man in which certain enzymes which normally repair mutations of DNA fail to do so resulting in malignant tumors of the skin which are often fatal. Since it is well known that mutations were essential for the evolution of man from primitive cells, we must assume that too much of even a good thing like mutations is bad for us.
390 posted on 06/11/2003 12:49 AM PDT by razorbak
101
posted on
06/11/2003 12:08:06 PM PDT
by
f.Christian
(( apocalypsis, from Gr. apokalypsis, from apokalyptein to uncover, from apo- + kalyptein to cover))
To: Bloody Sam Roberts
Our lineage shares no common ancestor with the true apes.Evolution demands that we share common ancestors with the true apes. The genetic evidence suggests that we shared a common ancestor with chimps, prior to which we shared a common ancestor with gorillas, prior to which we shared a common ancestor with orangutans.
They have their own family tree.
There is no family tree you can draw for the apes that does not include a branch for humans.
To: f.Christian
Very good. I particularly enjoyed this one:
PROOF
The assimilation of data in such a way that the desired conclusion seems to be the most plausible hypothesis.
Straight out of the DNC playbook.
To: glory; far sider
tooth & reconstruction of primitive society.
104
posted on
06/11/2003 12:19:46 PM PDT
by
Dataman
To: HumanaeVitae
What, evolution is a "joke" because it doesn't address a philosophical issue?
105
posted on
06/11/2003 12:22:31 PM PDT
by
Dimensio
(Sometimes I doubt your committment to Sparkle Motion!)
To: hunyb
Weeeeird! That is EXACTLY what went through my mind..........some huge alien, hunting man, skinnin, then polishing his trophies.........are we sick? :)Quite possibly. Or, perhaps we share a taste for odd movies?
106
posted on
06/11/2003 12:22:54 PM PDT
by
Pearls Before Swine
(South-south-west, south, south-east, east....)
To: Physicist
Evolution demands that we share common ancestors with the true apes. The genetic evidence suggests that we shared a common ancestor with chimps Which is why it is all theory at this point. I do not like to draw conclusions from anything that cannot be proven. No true scientist would. Correct?
I would be pleased if the common link to humans were found in the fossil record. That would pretty much sew things up as far as Darwin is concerned. The genetic evidence may suggest it but it does not prove it. There are a great many things that are suggested by the available data but...the jury is still out on a definitive, dead on balls scenario. Some things may never be known. Perhaps some things should never be known.
To: CobaltBlue
I recently read Bryan Sykes "The Seven Daughters of Eve". He believes that our mitochondrial DNA proves humans originated in Africa. The possible human migration patterns that emerge from his study I found very interesting. Anyone who wants to (with $200) can discover which daughter they descend from. World-wide there are more than 7, but he concentrated on the 7 that he believes are the maternal ancestors of Europe. Here's a link:
http://www.oxfordancestors.com/
To: Pearls Before Swine
well, I am an 'odd' movie buff! think i have seen them all! :)
109
posted on
06/11/2003 12:36:32 PM PDT
by
hunyb
To: PatrickHenry
My point was merely that both sides of the argument have a bad tendency to dismiss the other sides arguments as fraud or poorly thought out.
The new testament mentions 516 witnesses. 500 of those are reffered to collectively in the book of Mathew. This gets into the argument of you can't use the bible to prove the bible which is a reasonable point. So then we look to other writings such as Josephus a roman historian who mentions Jesus.
Just trying to say that both sides should do their homework a little more thoroughly before deciding the creation vs. evolution issue.
Your life may depend upon it.
Sincerely, me
110
posted on
06/11/2003 12:40:07 PM PDT
by
TexasBlues
(Life's a song but I may be a little out of tune...)
To: TexasBlues
The theory of evolution has nothing of value to say about the life of Christ, who lived and died relatively recently on the evolutionary time line.
To: Bloody Sam Roberts
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
A tree that grows mainly in textbooks of biology and which has a variety of both contemporary and fossil animals perched on the tips of its branches. This tree clearly shows how all of these animals branched off from common ancestors a long time ago. For some reason the common ancestors are never shown sitting in the crotches of the tree. Plants presumably grow on different trees which are rather rare.
For some reason the common ancestors are never shown sitting in the crotches of the tree.
112
posted on
06/11/2003 12:45:54 PM PDT
by
f.Christian
(( apocalypsis, from Gr. apokalypsis, from apokalyptein to uncover, from apo- + kalyptein to cover))
To: TexasBlues
The new testament mentions 516 witnesses. 500 of those are reffered to collectively in the book of Mathew.
I still can't understand why people honestly think that a single work that claims 500 witnesses is considered an accounting of 500 individual witnesses. It's one individual account that claims that 500 people witnessed the same event, not 500 individual accounts. I have heard one "excuse" that were the report false, people would have stepped forward claiming that they weren't one of the witnesses, as though the book actually mentions names.
So hen we look to other writings such as Josephus a roman historian who mentions Jesus.
I've heard that his alleged accounting of Jesus was not considered entirely trustworthy -- as in there was suspicion that some of his writings were forged by others after the fact. I've not immedeate references onhand, though.
113
posted on
06/11/2003 12:45:58 PM PDT
by
Dimensio
(Sometimes I doubt your committment to Sparkle Motion!)
To: LibertyAndJusticeForAll
I'd love to have that done, but my husband would kill me if I spent $200 on it.
I will suggest to my sibs that we all chip in and have it done for my mother, since the results will be the same.
To: Physicist
Does that skull at the top of the thread look human to you? It does to the researchers, too (although their conclusions are more quantitative). That's the point of the article. As for the dating of the skull, you'll have to read the paper yourself. I don't know what criteria they used to piece it together or if it was pieced together properly (neanderthal skulls weren't!), if all fragments were from the same skull, etc. There is a limit to scientific certainty with this limited evidence. Inferences were made here that cannot be called empirical facts. Want me to point out some of them from the article?
To: Physicist
"Mr. Simpson, you're free to go on your own recognizance." This is ad hominem - try to stick to the arguments. Either there is enough basis to make final conclusions about these bone fragments or there isn't. Obviously, there isn't!
To: TexasBlues
Why do the evolutionists discount the crucifiction and resurrection of Christ as myth and fraud when there are so many eyewitness accounts dated within 30 years of the event. Evolutionists don't discount Christ as a fraud. Creationists say that they do based on experience with atheists who lack any knowledge beyond the scientific.
To: PatrickHenry
The crucifiction isn't mentioned at all in the theory of evolution, so I don't understand your question. As for the crucifiction, I believe we have only four eye-witness accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).There is also the Gospel of Peter, which ended up on the cutting room floor.
To: blam
A few years back I had a roommate from Ethiopia. He didn't look much different from the drawing...
119
posted on
06/11/2003 12:59:31 PM PDT
by
null and void
(Who Cries For The Krill?)
To: Nebullis
Okay. After all the bellylaughs about the conclusions from the scientific community, let's hear your conclusions. What do these fossils tell you? I haven't seen the fossils, so they tell me nothing. My point is not to present my own theory about the fossils, but merely to point out that metaphysical inferences were made that can hardly be labeled as scientific empirical facts. That much cannot be denied. So much for empirical science...philosophy rules.
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