Missing Link: 47 million year old lemur fossil links humans to ancient ancestors

[Atreus21]

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Ho...Mans_Earliest_Ancestor

I am a catholic, and I don't believe evolution and theism are mutually exclusive. Just want to get that out of the way.

I was wondering if anyone knows more details on this. Namely, what quality does this fossil have that makes it important?

 

[jackschmittusa]

The fossil was complete (unusual for this type of animal), located in a dated strata of the correct time period according to predictions, and had characteristics (tooth design for example) that point to a particular evolutionary branch.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

And note, that most current theories don't say that humans evolved from monkeys. Just that there is a common ancestor way back a few million years ago. That ancestor broke into two different lineages. One became apes, the other us.

There isn't a pinpoint ancestor. Yet. Which is where this could be what helps tie them together.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
And note, that most current theories don't say that humans evolved from monkeys. Just that there is a common ancestor way back a few million years ago. That ancestor broke into two different lineages. One became apes, the other us.

There isn't a pinpoint ancestor. Yet. Which is where this could be what helps tie them together.

Huh? Apes and monkeys split millions of years after this fossil went extinct. Nothing about this find will tie those two together.

The big question is whether we are tarsiers or lemurs.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
And note, that most current theories don't say that humans evolved from monkeys. Just that there is a common ancestor way back a few million years ago. That ancestor broke into two different lineages. One became apes, the other us.

There isn't a pinpoint ancestor. Yet. Which is where this could be what helps tie them together.

Huh? Apes and monkeys split millions of years after this fossil went extinct. Nothing about this find will tie those two together.

The big question is whether we are tarsiers or lemurs.

Yes. But so many people think of evolution as people evolving from monkeys. If I evolved from a monkey, then why don't I have a tail! type folks. Was just saying that's not what happened at all. Didn't mean to say that this ties us to monkeys.

 

[jonks]

i aint no hairless ape

 

[Red Irish]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
And note, that most current theories don't say that humans evolved from monkeys. Just that there is a common ancestor way back a few million years ago. That ancestor broke into two different lineages. One became apes, the other us.

There isn't a pinpoint ancestor. Yet. Which is where this could be what helps tie them together.

Huh? Apes and monkeys split millions of years after this fossil went extinct. Nothing about this find will tie those two together.

The big question is whether we are tarsiers or lemurs.

That is my understanding, but do tarsiers and lemurs also have a common ancestor? If we go back far enough, couldn't we all be traced back to a single cell? And before that?

 

[halik]

So we're all descendants of this guy?

 

[Atreus21]

Originally posted by: halik
So we're all descendants of this guy?

I'm killing myself tonight.

 

[Brutus04]

What bullshit!

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Brutus04
What bullshit!

 

[krylon]

Mmm. Lemur sex.

 

[Thump553]

I heard a news story today about it on NPR (can't find a link). According to that story, the fossil was so amazingly complete and well preserved that they can even tell what the animal's last meal was.

I'd be very leery about calling this a missing link, though. Accornding to the same NPR story that is hotly contested in the scientific community, that many feel it could very well be just another evolutionary dead end.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Thump553
I heard a news story today about it on NPR (can't find a link). According to that story, the fossil was so amazingly complete and well preserved that they can even tell what the animal's last meal was.

I'd be very leery about calling this a missing link, though. Accornding to the same NPR story that is hotly contested in the scientific community, that many feel it could very well be just another evolutionary dead end.

Of course, conservatives will just assume it's an evolutionary dead end without even looking at the evidence :thumbsdown:

 

[JSt0rm]

its a trick of the devil. The world is only 10,000 years old!

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Red Irish
If we go back far enough, couldn't we all be traced back to a single cell? And before that?

From what I've seen, that is theoretically possible. However, research into this topic has run into an inconsistancy. There wasn't enough time to evolve from the original single cell to humans given the age of the Earth. So, either (1) the Earth is older than we thought, (2) evolution happens faster than we think, or (3) some genetic material came from space (such as a meteor) and assist evolution on Earth.

#3 is the most exciting possibility. Did evolution happen in multiple locations in the universe and converge here on Earth?

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
its a trick of the devil. The world is only 10,000 years old!

Republicans.txt

 

[OCGuy]

Guys, this is huge. If there is a saddle on it, do you know what that means?














PALIN 2012!

 

[spacejamz]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
its a trick of the devil. The world is only 10,000 years old!

Republicans.txt

awww...is someone still pissed that their thread on this subject got locked because they couldn't help from spouting off some propogandic BS???

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
its a trick of the devil. The world is only 10,000 years old!

Republicans.txt

Are you saying only Republicans believe in creationism?



You need to travel more.

 

[JSt0rm]

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
its a trick of the devil. The world is only 10,000 years old!

Republicans.txt

Are you saying only Republicans believe in creationism?



You need to travel more.

only republicans try to create a voting block around the idea

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Thump553
I heard a news story today about it on NPR (can't find a link). According to that story, the fossil was so amazingly complete and well preserved that they can even tell what the animal's last meal was.

I'd be very leery about calling this a missing link, though. Accornding to the same NPR story that is hotly contested in the scientific community, that many feel it could very well be just another evolutionary dead end.

Of course, conservatives will just assume it's an evolutionary dead end without even looking at the evidence :thumbsdown:

He said feel it could, not assume it is.

Realize that the evidence on selective breeding and mild changes over time is far more compelling than evolution itself, which is why stances on it have continued to change and fossils have pointed toward one thing, then another. It has not been observed and it cannot be repeated, so what it amounts to is taking a few pieces of a 10,000 piece puzzle and trying to figure out what the picture is.

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: Atreus21
I am a catholic, and I don't believe evolution and theism are mutually exclusive. Just want to get that out of the way.

YOUR Bad

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Thump553
I heard a news story today about it on NPR (can't find a link). According to that story, the fossil was so amazingly complete and well preserved that they can even tell what the animal's last meal was.

I'd be very leery about calling this a missing link, though. Accornding to the same NPR story that is hotly contested in the scientific community, that many feel it could very well be just another evolutionary dead end.

Of course, conservatives will just assume it's an evolutionary dead end without even looking at the evidence :thumbsdown:

The only thing more predictable than religious denial of evolution is Phokus' trolling.

And the fact that you link conservatism and religion just makes you look like a moron. I'm a fiscally conservative agnostic, but according to you I don't exist. So I'm kind of like a god.

 

[LumbergTech]

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
And note, that most current theories don't say that humans evolved from monkeys. Just that there is a common ancestor way back a few million years ago. That ancestor broke into two different lineages. One became apes, the other us.

There isn't a pinpoint ancestor. Yet. Which is where this could be what helps tie them together.

Huh? Apes and monkeys split millions of years after this fossil went extinct. Nothing about this find will tie those two together.

The big question is whether we are tarsiers or lemurs.

Yes. But so many people think of evolution as people evolving from monkeys. If I evolved from a monkey, then why don't I have a tail! type folks. Was just saying that's not what happened at all. Didn't mean to say that this ties us to monkeys.

apparently we evolved from something less evolved than a monkey