Missing Link found?
Scientists discover 'missing link between man and apes'
By Daniel Martin
Last updated at 9:29 PM on 04th April 2010
The discovery of a 'missing link' between man and apes could revolutionise our understanding of how we evolved, scientists say.
They believe the two-million-year-old fossilised skeleton of a child, found in South Africa, is that of an entirely new species and an intermediate stage between our ape-like ancestors and modern man.
And they claim it could help us crack one of the great mysteries of our evolutionary tree - exactly when humans began to walk on two feet.
While most finds are little more than scattered fragments of bone or teeth, the latest discovery is an almost complete skeleton.
The bones were found in the Malapa Cave in the Sterkfontein region of South Africa by Professor Lee Berger, of Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg.
The caves were made a Unesco world heritage site in 1994 after an almost complete fossil of a 3.3million-year-old Australopithecus was found there.
Professor Phillip Tobias, an anthropologist at the university, said that the discovery was a 'wonderful and exciting' find. 'To find a skeleton as opposed to a couple of teeth or an arm bone is a rarity,' he said.
'It is one thing to find a lower jaw with a couple of teeth, but it is another thing to find the jaw joined on to the skull, and those in turn uniting further down with the spinal column, pelvis and the limb bones.'
The discovery, along with a number of other partially complete fossils, could now help scientists understand how our ancestors evolved from the apelike Australopithecus, which emerged in Africa around 3.9million years ago, to Homo habilis, the first human-type species which appeared around 2.5million years ago.
The skeleton, which will be unveiled on Thursday and has already been visited by the country's president Jacob Zuma, is believed to be an evolutionary intermediate between these two species.
It includes a pelvis and whole limbs which could reveal whether the new species walked upright or on all fours.
Hand bones could also say how dextrous the species was and give researchers the first clue as to when humans' ability to hold stone tools first emerged.
Dr Simon Underdown, an expert in evolution from Oxford Brookes University, said: 'A find like this could really increase our understanding of our early ancestors.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1263488/Missing-link-evol...
ROFL WK
OK there is no missing link, someone snapped his fingers and the planet earth was full of humans. That definitely sounds more believable.
I don't see how they're struggling s_isale. Seems to me they're having great success in finding links.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
Ooooooooops, I misuderstood that! Maybe the reason why we have so many homos today! Lol!
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wala lang
the missing link itself started with a hypothesis and till date they are struggling to somehow make a link. How inspiring....
Do you think the difference between an ape and you is just one missing link ? We are vastly different from apes, and have been through many genetic changes through the cycle of evolution to have reached this current stage. There would be millions of evolutionary models in the middle. We haven't found all of them. So there are lots of missing links, not just the one.
evolution of homos is considered to be a slow and continuous change in the physicals and mentals of apes to finally give rise to prehistoric men based on the theory of survival of the fittest...
if we believe the above theory, there cannot be 'one' missing link...
there is a limitation in radio carbon dating and thus we are not able to know anything before a few million years. its also possible that the fossils of earlier homos have disintegrated during the span of time..
flanostu said "only one missing link?"
Yes, Man is THAT close to apes! :P
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Troubleshooter = Shoots Trouble in the a***
one missing link every year. you need to find at least 3.9 million missing links.
only one missing link?
now whats that? A fantasy?
Ya I hate those "hypothesis's" s-isale. I prefer factual things, like talking snakes.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
Those are not hard evidence FU. They can also be explained by normal evolution theory. There is no hard evidence supporting Aquatic Ape theory instead of Evolution theory.
Sadly another of those hypothesis.
other evolutionists to verify.
I think the evidence is below:
There is nothing in the fossil record to invalidate this scenario, and much to sustain it. Lucy's bones were found at Afar lying among crocodile and turtle eggs and crab claws at the edge of a flood plain near what would then have been the coast of Africa.
Other fossils of Australopithecus, dated later, were found further south, almost invariably in the immediate vicinity of ancient lakes and rivers.
We now know that the change from the ape into Australopithecus took place in a short space of time, by evolutionary standards. Such rapid speciation is almost invariably a sign that one population of a species has become isolated by a geographical barrier such as a stretch of water.
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
regarding this topic, I don't believe in it. Good day!
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wala lang
It's a very interesting theory but I'd have to do some more reading on aquatic mammals to be sure of it's accuracy. But as Deepb said, it's a theory, it doesn't really have any evidence to back it up.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
mine is a legitimate question without malice. But if you insist it that way, well, for me if the question is "racist" (although not intended), I find the subject offending! It's how you look at it or interpret it, but if you are entitled to your opinion, I am also!
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wala lang
There are enough 'hard evidence' specially around Lucy and other fossils found.
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
Aquatic Ape Theory has no hard scientific backing. Anyone can claim anything without any proof.
...on the fact that scientists and evolutionists find it easier to explain our evolution from the apes because of similarities in physical appearance and others. However,it is difficult to explain the differences. Alistair Hardy proposed this Aquatic Ape theory which offered more answers to the question than any other theory. Below is the link:
http://www.primitivism.com/aquatic-ape.htm
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
so that I can get her thoughts on the AAT.
Flor - You said - does it mean human ancestors are ...
different apes since human differs in colors and ethnicity? Just asking!
Oxford Definition of Racism -
racism
• noun the belief that there are characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to each race.
Now you spoke about the differences in Humans,ie,colors and ethnicity. That's definately racist.
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
precisely why I avoided using the word "we". Different views different outlook. Don't include me in your "we"! And please, don't insinuate, we are all in proper age to discuss serious things here, don't we? Or am I missing a "link" somewhere?
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wala lang
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
flor we all came from Africa. The skin pigments aligned themselves differently based on the climatic conditions and hence different colour of the skin.
what is racist in my comment? If some would look it that way, the discussion or the belief itself will be taken also as a racist subject? Don't you think so?
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wala lang
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
different apes since human differs in colors and ethnicity? Just asking!
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wala lang
I have not insisted that anyone accept my line of thinking.
Your belief is totally yours and no one is questioning that.
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wala lang
s_isale if you don't believe in evolution fine, let those who want to believe in it, believe in it.
I don't believe in God, do you ever see me going around trying to prove it to you that there is no God.
What's the Aquatic Ape theory?
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
FU you let the cat out of the bag
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
who believe in this theory! So they can discuss this thoroughly!
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wala lang
is a result of our untiring quest to answer basic questions like - Who are we? How did we evolve?
IMO,such finds are invaluable.
Olive - The remains are 3.3 Million Year old and they are the closest to what we have got so far in our 3.9 Million year history of homos.
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
"Resident Attention Seeker"
What is amusing is that there has been claims and counter claims and nothing else.
A few years back a famous archaeologist was found to have fabricated a lot of the evidence which he was trying to prove in the name of evolution.
I am really not concerned about these missing links but those who are so obsessed with denying evolution happened amuse me a lot.
wat else, could u expect:P
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A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose! Dr. Choc
And a person who finds a strange looking potato chip is not bending over backwards to convince the world it's an image of the virgin mary. And don't even get me started on that subject. Facts are facts,
Those "assumptions" are based on scientific experiments and reasoning. I hardly find them funny. Then again I don't believe snakes talk.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
fossil can be real, it is the assumptions that they make out of a fossil and bend it over backwards to create a link that makes it funny.
What is shouted as missing link itself becomes a mistaken link.
Wow! So you mean to tell me CREATIONIST'S think that the fossil isn't real!!!! LOL. Guess what, fire is hot.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
All that has been there are assumptions. nothing else.
Isale if your faith says otherwise, why don't you just leave the science related topics alone. No one is forcing you to believe it. This was shared for people who believe in evolution.
It's easy to talk faith when you have no scientific proof to validate your claims.
its in fact an obsession to somehow prove that the relations existed and to debunk the claims by people of faith that it is in fact the opposite.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=98642
LOL Sandman, frankly I think some of our earlier ancestors just never died out and are masquerading as modern humans. :P
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
Olive, I too believe in evolution, but after being here in Qatar for so long, I am starting to believe in "Reverse Evolution". Never have I seen so many people acting like primates.
It's not just one link that is missing. Multiple links are missing. Archaeology cannot produce instant results. It is not divine, it is science. We will find out the missing links one by one. If you believe that despite this hard proof, we were put on earth in the same form as we are in, who is being gullible?
Can't really understand what for they spend time and effort in such discoveries... Whether human began to walk a 1000 years before or after does it really matter when we are talking of a time horizon of million of years...:)
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One life to live, live it to the fullest.
The links would remain missing....as there are NO links.
Yes they will keep finding missing links because there are many in our chain of ancestry. That's the wonderful thing about evolution. But no matter how much evidence keeps getting presented some gullible people will keep believing in Adam & Eve and a talking snake. :P
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
s_isale, ur news dated back to 2009...i have read the remains of a small child just a few weeks back..
they will keep finding missing links and there will be a lot of gullible people who will keep believing it.
2006
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060412224805.htm
Don't know why they're calling that one a "missing link" as they're only 160,000 year old Homo Sapien skulls.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
2003
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2003/06/12/877478.htm
I believe there are a few missing links between ape to human evolution on QL as well.
Yes I read that, but that's the link between monkey's and ape's not ape's & human's.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
wrong un
2009
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Missing-Link-Scientists-In-New-York-Unveil-Fossil-Of-Lemur-Monkey-Hailed-As-Mans-Earliest-Ancestor/Article/200905315284582
Infact few weeks back there was one article in TIMESOFINDIA about the remains (some part of limbs and fingers) found of a very small child that was supposed to be as old as 50000 yrs ago..
I m not able to trace that link but will surely update once i will get that..
Really s_islae? What missing link did they find last year? Or the year before that? Please provide links.
literal people are scary, man, literal people scare me
out there trying to rid the world of its poetry while getting it wrong fundamentally down at the church of "look,it sez right here, see!" Ani Difranco
Visper, I'm not missing. You just have to look in the right places.
Every year they find a missing link. Its funny ........
i been waiting for this "missing link".
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