Possible link between modern humans and ape-like ancestors with unveiling of new skeleton - Polidicks

[quote] (April 4) -- The missing link between humans and their ape-like predecessors could be filled in this week with the unveiling of a 2 million-year-old skeleton believed to be that of a new species of evolutionary primate, according to the London Telegraph. The almost-complete fossilized child's skeleton, discovered in a limestone cave in South Africa by Professor Lee Berger of the country's University of the Witwatersrand, is believed to provide new clues about the evolutionary gap between the ape-like Australopithecus afarensis, which emerged almost 4 million years ago, and Homo habilis, the first species of advanced humans, which emerged about 2 million years ago. A group of tourists are guided through the Sterkfontein Caves. Denis Farrell, AP Scientists found a nearly-complete fossilized skeleton that may be a missing link in the evolution of humans in a cave in South Africa's Sterkfontein region. Here, tourists explore a cave in the area last year. The new species is believed to be a hominid, a group of evolutionary primates including humans, that existed during the intermediary phase when apelike species evolved into humans. South African President Jacob Zuma has visited the university to view the fossils ahead of Thursday's much-anticipated unveiling. Some scientists are hailing the discovery as a significant revelation. Professor Phillip Tobias, an eminent human anatomist, colleague of Professor Berger and one of three experts to first identify Homo habilis in 1964, called the finding "wonderful" and "exciting." Experts said the discovery of a nearly-complete skeleton was noteworthy as the fossil record of early human species has largely been built through the study of small, disjointed bones. Skull fragments and jaw, finger, hand and wrist bones have thus far provided the best clues about the early human species like Homo habilis. "To find a skeleton as opposed to a couple of teeth or an arm bone is a rarity," Tobias told the Telegraph, adding that "it is one thing to find a lower jaw with a couple of teeth, but it is another thing to find the jaw joined onto the skull, and those in turn uniting further down with the spinal column, pelvis and the limb bones." The skeleton is believed to have been preserved by the limestone contained in the Malapa cave where it was found in the Sterkfontein region of South Africa, considered part of the "Cradle of Humanity." The fossil could provide new clues about the transition between the human species and its extinct, apelike ancestors. The pelvis and limb bones of the new skeleton could shed light on how apelike hominids began to stand upright. The hand bones could provide evidence about when modern humans began to use stone tools. "A find like this could really increase our understanding of our early ancestors at a time when they first started to become recognizable as human," Dr. Simon Underdown, an expert on human evolution at Oxford Brookes University, told the Telegraph. The unveiling of the fossilized skeleton Thursday will reportedly set off a media campaign and inspire a television documentary. The finding is said to be the most important of its kind since an almost-complete fossil of a 3.3 million year old Australopithecus, nicknamed Little Foot, was found in Sterkfontein in 1994.[/quote] Source: [url]http://www.aolnews.com/article/scientists-to-unveil-possible-missing-link-between-man-and-ape/19425931?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Farticle%2Fscientists-to-unveil-possible-missing-link-between-man-and-ape%2F19425931[/url] I guess we really are a monkeys uncle. [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]

I've waited my whole life for this news! Riveting!

brb calling my brother a mutated monkey

Great. Sadly, As long as there are unbelievers there will always be a missing link.

Take that Christianity!

god put it there deliberately

No god put it there to test our faith for some reason.

[QUOTE=WhatTheKlent;21175203]No god put it there to test our faith for some reason.[/QUOTE] Our minds can't create fossils.

Haven't they found the 'missing link' several dozen times? What do people want? A catalouge of every one of our ancestors' bodies so we can prove we evolved from apes?

But wait! This means we just found two more missing links! :downs:

This proves nothing except Jesus is real

[QUOTE=GunskiMod;21175166]Take that Christianity![/QUOTE] they should rename facepunch to "facepalm"

I guess Christianity is now complete [i]Monkey Business[/i] [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img] [*sigh*, rate me dumbs. i've been dying to use a pun all week and I couldn't think of any; and this was my last chance :(]

Scientifically, this is rather boring, finding more evidence to support a theory isn't widely celebrated in the scientific community, finding counter-evidence would be far more impressive.

[QUOTE=Janus Vesta;21175265]Haven't they found the 'missing link' several dozen times? What do people want? A catalouge of every one of our ancestors' bodies so we can prove we evolved from apes?[/QUOTE] Yes they have, there is no missing link and haven't been for years. The only people who still say that are stupid journalists who try to make a story out of yet another fossil that confirms the theory of evolution and creationists who don't know what they're talking about.

[QUOTE=Shibbey;21183606]Finding counter-evidence would be far more impressive.[/QUOTE] Especially because that would never happen.

I guess you could say, this is [I]Monkey Business[/I]. [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]

How much more proof do people need. We already know we evolved from primates.

How long until we can just call them links?

I have a friend, a mormon friend, and she somehow is under the impression that she has a choice to deny evolution. She says it doesn't make any sense to her, and therefore doesn't believe in it. But I keep on telling her that it isn't a choice because it's basically as proven as something can get in science...But no matter what, she'll never change her mind. The pointlessness in finding a missing link or any more evidence for evolution is that it won't change anyone's mind. People who don't believe in it now will never believe in it, because they're already so ignorant and ignore all proof and facts that are brought up.

Well put. And punch her. [editline]11:18PM[/editline] Have you tried explaining to her how evolution works by the way? Sounds like she doesn't understand it to be honest. Saying "It's proven" won't help.

could prove to be interesting

[QUOTE=Zemog;21194312]Well put. And punch her. [editline]11:18PM[/editline] Have you tried explaining to her how evolution works by the way? Sounds like she doesn't understand it to be honest. Saying "It's proven" won't help.[/QUOTE] I have and she still says it doesn't make sense, I don't understand what more I could POSSIBLY do.

Fake. Remember that guy who performed surgery on an orangutan's spine? Don't get me wrong, I believe in evolution. It's just that I don't believe we evolved from monkeys. And how does evolution disprove Christianity? The bible says the animals were created first, then humans. God could've taken the fucking monkeys and evolved them. Same with the big bang, God could be the "force" that caused that also.

[QUOTE=TheChantzGuy;21195096]Fake. Remember that guy who performed surgery on an orangutan's spine? Don't get me wrong, I believe in evolution. It's just that I don't believe we evolved from monkeys.[/QUOTE] Then what [I]did [/I]we evolve from?

[QUOTE=Zemog;21195225]Then what [I]did [/I]we evolve from?[/QUOTE] [img]http://whoyoucallingaskeptic.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/kraken-cthulhu.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=TheChantzGuy;21195096]Fake. Remember that guy who performed surgery on an orangutan's spine? Don't get me wrong, I believe in evolution. It's just that I don't believe we evolved from monkeys. And how does evolution disprove Christianity? The bible says the animals were created first, then humans. God could've taken the fucking monkeys and evolved them. Same with the big bang, God could be the "force" that caused that also.[/QUOTE] Ehh.... believe what you think is right, I believe we came from monkeys based on the hard evidence we're getting, but saying "Fake" is Just flat out ignorant like this isn't possible and its some massive "hoax".

[QUOTE=TheChantzGuy;21195096]Fake. Remember that guy who performed surgery on an orangutan's spine? Don't get me wrong, I believe in evolution. It's just that I don't believe we evolved from monkeys. [b]And how does evolution disprove Christianity? The bible says the animals were created first, then humans. God could've taken the fucking monkeys and evolved them. Same with the big bang, God could be the "force" that caused that also.[/b][/QUOTE] Except nothing can create that much energy without a huge catalyst. If there is a God, it is not how we describe it (Bearded guy who puts his children on earth for whatever the fuck reason), but instead some sort of massive ball of energy that creates enough power in itself to convert it's own energy into matter, allowing it to create instant life. Which requires the combined power of 100 suns, so yes, impossible.

[QUOTE=TheChantzGuy;21195096]Fake. Remember that guy who performed surgery on an orangutan's spine? Don't get me wrong, I believe in evolution. It's just that I don't believe we evolved from monkeys. And how does evolution disprove Christianity? The bible says the animals were created first, then humans. God could've taken the fucking monkeys and evolved them. Same with the big bang, God could be the "force" that caused that also.[/QUOTE] How do you not believe we evolved from monkeys, are you dense? There's so much proof, and if you believe god did all of it, so be it, you can't disprove some shitty logic and coping like that, but that still means it's real.

[QUOTE=Karmah;21193981]How much more proof do people need. We already know we evolved from primates.[/QUOTE]We are primates.