Posted on 05/13/2009 2:29:18 PM PDT by mnehring
Famous broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, is all set to present a documentary claiming to have discovered a missing link in human evolution - a monkey-like creature called an adapid.
According to a report in the Telegraph, the programme, which would be aired on the BBC later this month, could help to resolve the debate about which kind of primates humans are descended from.
Sir David will reveal the well-preserved frame of the small monkey-like creature on the programme.
The fossilised animal, thought to be at least 37 million years old, is a member of the extinct adapid family, and was discovered in a disused quarry in Germany.
Similar in appearance to modern lemurs, the young female has certain key differences which convinced researchers they have found the link to modern apes.
Unlike lemurs, it has no "toothcomb" teeth for grooming or "toilet claws" for scratching, two omissions which make it more likely to be ancestral to monkeys, higher apes and ultimately humans.
The fossil is reportedly so well preserved that some of its soft tissues such as skin and even its stomach contents can be examined.
"I examined this skeleton. It is exceptionally complete and it is well-dated," said Professor Philip Gingerich, co-author of the report and president of the US Paleontological Society.
"We have kept it under wraps because you can't blither about something until you understand it. We now understand it. It is going to advance our knowledge of evolution," he added.
The fossil of the creature, named Darwinus masillae, was discovered in two parts at different times.
Oh great. Now we have two missing links, one on either side of this interloper.
I’m taking bets that this whole thing is a bunch of garbage. Not that the show wont go on but that it will be all folly and inconclusive. Just like all the other “proof” that they have come up with over the last 50 years. They were either hoaxes or just bad information.
I wish you all would quit posting pictures of Helen Thomas. If we are lucky we will all get to be old some day and we might just be ugly too. That includes you quagmire.
I think 'all' may be the wrong word to use.. I can think of a handful of hoaxes or errors, but it pales in comparison to the amount of advances.
This will be used by crevos to claim it is of recent (about 6000 years ago) provenance.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GIGGITY
STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!
Not to brag, but I would have to be hit by a truck to look that bad.A big truck.....
If we ever make it to her age, we, like her, will have the faces we deserve.
I doubt any of us will look as bad as her, barring horrific accidents...
Jeeez. This is like one of those youtube videos where you watch and at the end a yelling ghost or something pops out. None of them are as frightful as this thread.
It is scary how little things have changed.
Maybe another Piltdown man? A human skull and the jaw of an orangutan mixed together and thought to be a missing link for a long time.
Translation:
"We had no use for another small, fossilized hominid, then somebody cooked up this scam. We will now use this to dupe all of you."
;-/
What is an “advance”? I’ve not seen one of those. But I bet when I do find one it will have been “created”.
GGG ping
At least 37 million years old?
Someone's been smoking crack...
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