...and she's our link to animal life. Is Ida the missing link? http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/may/19/ida-fossil-attenborough-evolution-darwin I hope this thread doesn't evolve into the usual evolution vs. creationism primal mudslinging but from what I've read of Red Room threads it most likely will end up there. I believe in God AND evoluion. I don't want to argue about it, but I'd like to talk to anyone who wants to have a fair exchange of ideas. No matter what point of view you take this does seem to be a remarkable discovery.
Its not a 'missing link' between animals and humans. It might be a 'missing link' between other mammals and simians/apes/monkeys though.
Yup. And there are a great many other missing links. I find some of the "omg we found the missing link" journalism surrounding this a tad stupid.
Yes, bloody annoying. The term 'missing link' means something specific to most people. And this isn't that
Quoted from the article The articles I have read seem to suggest exactly that Ida is in fact the link between us and the rest of the mammals or did I not understand the article correctly? A few more links to articles that state the same premise: Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_..._primate_sheds_light_on_.html#ixzz0G3WxZ0SS&B
Yeah, those articles are very poorly worded. It isn't a link between humans and apes. And to assert that it is THE link between anything else is also wrong. The fossil record is by its very nature always going to be partial, incomplete and contain lots of gaps. We had some of it before, this is one more piece and there are other links still missing.
This article takes a little more skeptical approach and backs up your assertion somewhat. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/15/tech/main5015948.shtml
In this age of modern media and publicity stunts one has to view new discoveries like this with a bit of healthy skepticism. It appears even Mayor Bloomberg of New York is snapping up some free publicity which I am sure surprises no one. This following statement would appear to be a little closer to the "truth". "It's more like our third cousin twice removed," said paleontologist Chris Beard of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History at Johns Hopkins University. "It's part of the primate family tree that is about as far away from humans as you can get and still be a primate." http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-primate20-2009may20,0,3564414.story
Thank you for the welcome...This is my second iteration here at WF...It seems my previous posts were lost in the last major update.
You must have registered between the last backup and the big crash. Let me guess: You're a fan of history and/or the Romans, right? Either way is cool with me. Love your av.
Besides being low resolution, badly rendered artist sketches and pixellated photos they are all extinct species of the genus homo, correct? Homo erectus, Homo habilis and Homo neanderthalensis or other "missing links" in the fossil record.
That explains it, I thought maybe I had been deleted with extreme prejudice due to my postings in the EVE Online thread and that we had members of Goonswarm here that disagreed with some of my conclusions. Correct on both counts, I like history in general and the history of Rome specifically.
They were of course "missing links" in the fossil record until their discovery, just not the missing links to the genus homo sapiens correct?
They are links to sapiens. And all of them are certainly more worthy of the title (as it is popularly understood) 'missing link' than that Lemur fossil, no matter how well preserved it is.
What makes this discovery interesting to me is not its relation to other sapiens but the fact that it is the most completely preserved fossil primate that has ever been found. It preserves things that are almost never preserved -- stomach contents, tissues, hair. That only happens in very unique circumstances. So by the above definition it is truly a remarkable and interesting "missing link" in the fossil record.
Oh I understand that, and agree, its a wonderful fossil that we will learn a lot from. Every fossil we find is a 'missing link' if it is an undiscovered species. But journalists have been headlining this as THE 'missing link', implying it is the missing link between humanity and the animal kingdom, which it is not.
I agree, lots of media hype and use of the words "missing link" going on...In this case since it's drumming up interest in science and archeology instead of say Paris Hilton then I don't mind as much. As usual we have to look at any news release with a healthy dose of skepticism especially when they claim to have found THE missing link, and do the research ourselves. At least this publicity will further scientific debate and maybe will spark peoples interest in science instead of the celebrity lineup on MTV Cribs tonight?
Cavemen, shmavemen......I got your Homo Erectus right here! The Village is full of em'.....not that there's anything wrong with that!
Creationists? Ida looks very much like my lemur. They appeared around 60 million ya. Lemurs ended up on an evolutionary dead end because Madagascar split off. Ida must have come just before then.
Brilliant discovery oldfella! Finally the missing link between Homo erectus and Homo sexual has been found! This new species know as Ricardus Simmonus ought to provide useful insight into the nocturnal habits of long extinct Village Lemur. Archeologists are still studying this fossil record...
I'm not gay (although I play one on television) so maybe a WF gay could explain this to me: does anyone find Richard Simmons even remotely attractive? The Jewfro....shorts riding up his hairy crack...is this a sexy look?
