Missing link between monkeys and lemurs found.

Joao Sapiro · May 2009

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090519-missing-link-found.html

interesting to see the characteristics lined up with this app :

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/04/flores-hominids/map-interactive , choose skull comparison.

u proly know this, but thought it would be worth to post.

notman · May 2009

It seems to me like they are a little eager to consider this the 'missing link'. I saw this in the news yesterday too, and they were initially stating that they want to investigate further if it could be the 'link'. It seems as though over night, it was determined

It's still a cool find either way.

Needles · May 2009

There's a "main site" for this http://www.revealingthelink.com/

Seems they were working on this for two years till they unveiled it on the 17th.

Also the fossil was actually known for longer than two years, they said a private collector had it for about 20 years before scientists even knew about it. And sold it to them for 1 million bucks.

Heheh I wonder what else there is out there in someones private vault >_>

Mark Dygert · May 2009

Humm... in someones private collection. I'm sure all kinds of people will have a field day calling this a fake for years to come.

Andreas · May 2009

lol some motherfucker was sitting on the missing link for years. Nice.

This is everywhere today (even the main google banner). Seems pretty cool. An archaeologist mate of mine was telling me about these massive melee skirmishes homo erectus' and homo sapiens had; someone should make a game out of that.

Needles · May 2009

Vig wrote: »

I'm sure all kinds of people will have a field day calling this a fake for years to come.

I can say that the creationists are already going on full steam ahead on that front lol

Keg · May 2009

Needles wrote: »

I can say that the creationists are already going on full steam ahead on that front lol

I can hear them already saying their standard lines:

"God created that fossil to test our faith!"
"it's a hoax! nothing is older than 6000 years!"

dolemite · May 2009

As a creationist, this news is really significant to me. I've always said that if man came from monkeys, there's no reason to be moral. Expect a killing spree on the news tonight.

/s

Asherr · May 2009

let's not turn this into one of those threads please.

dolemite · May 2009

why not?

Rick Stirling · May 2009

Because I'm telling you all not too.

.....

There is a fascinating breakdown of several ancestral human species at the Natural History museum in Berlin. I'm sure I took some photos.

dolemite · May 2009

okay....

Mark Dygert · May 2009

Rick Stirling wrote: »

There is a fascinating breakdown of several ancestral human species at the Natural History museum in Berlin. I'm sure I took some photos.

If you're willing and able to share, it would be great to see them.

Ferg · May 2009

Pretty cool, shame it's not making front page news in more places. At least google was smart enough to take notice. Nice to have the "theory" of evolution confirmed... again.

snemmy · May 2009

Cool 'discovery' and great that they filled in another gap in the evolutionary ladder.. but calling it the "missing link" could be stretching it. Though I have not seen their conclusions and data. Though I remain open to the idea that this is.

For me the 'true' missing link would be finding two species and their hybrid child in one location or several gradually shifting fossils from the same area within a certain time window.

Is this what http://www.history.com/content/this-changes-everything is counting down to? The documentary?

whats_true · May 2009

Same here snemmy. I always wondered why their aren't any more of these? I mean, its not missing link, like that one guy is the key to everything, but missing links, as in their should be a crap load of them around.

kat · May 2009

whats_true wrote: »

Same here snemmy. I always wondered why their aren't any more of these? I mean, its not missing link, like that one guy is the key to everything, but missing links, as in their should be a crap load of them around.

That's the inherent problem with this stuff, people (read that as dumbed down mainstream media) are assuming there is *a* missing link, or *the* missing link when/where there isn't one. It simply doesn't work like that (as you pointed out) given how far and wide homo-I]insert subspecies here[/I have roamed, there are likely to be dozens if not hundreds of links in this chain :thumbup:, go, go, gadget science!

MoP · May 2009

Yes indeed, the dumbing-down of this stuff in the media gives really false impressions to people who don't have the time or inclination to research it themselves. Having one "missing link" is ridiculous.

It's all about the intermediate species, there could be hundreds, thousands, millions of them... they're like pokemon, you've gotta catch 'em all.

It's not like was one sudden jump from "old-style animal" to "new-style animal". And far too many people don't seem to understand this basic premise

[Deleted User] · May 2009

The NG page doesn't refer to it as the missing link, neither does this thread's title. What are you guys talking about? What's being dumbed down?

danr · May 2009

the dumbing-down of this stuff in the media gives really false impressions to people who don't have the time or inclination to research it themselves

well, considering that a hell of a lot of people believe that man is descended from apes, it's better than nothing

spitty · May 2009

did either of these articles even talk about a missing link between homo erectus and sapiens?

the first article was about a "missing link" between lemurs and monkeys and the other article was talking about the "hobbit" skeleton, and that it was more similar to homo erectus from west asia than local homo erectus skeletons.

still interesting articles though.

Ged · May 2009

also to add to mop and kat, fossils arent a natural result of an animal dying, that animal has to die in particular circumstances or a particular environment so as to prevent the fossil from decay or damage. therefore the argument that there should be loads of missing link fossils around is kinda flawed, sure there should be some fossils and Im surprised how few missing links fossils we have but not loads of fossils. What conclusions have they actually drawn about this one? is it possible that it is an offshoot of the genetic strain that lead to humans, like the apes of today? I find it difficult to draw any conclusions myself but the media tries to make it all looks so cut and dried. lol I used to want to be a paleantologist when I was 8 years old

arshlevon · May 2009

anyone goto google today?

http://www.google.com/

MoP · May 2009

Yeah, the logo was awesome

Jesse Moody · May 2009

Here is a shot of what they think the missing link looked like while living.

Daaark · May 2009

Missing Link

katzeimsack · May 2009

Jesse Moody wrote: »

Here is a shot of what they think the missing link looked like while living.

I knew it!

Ged · May 2009

lol it was an apple all along, wait is that an apple or a really wierd tomatoe?

Pope Adam · May 2009

GO SCIENCE GO!!

snemmy · May 2009

Well the name 'missing link' is VERY loaded. The phrase itself has come to me THE end all, definitive connection between man and ape.
When you say you have found a "missing link" then yes, it can easily be construed and spun out of context very quickly. If NG would have left out the 'missing' part and it would have been more appropriate. But even they fall to sensationalism...

Arguing semantics over the name is kind of getting away from the issue..

Still a fascinating discovery (that should have been 20 years earlier).
Maybe now more collectors should open their doors and let scientists browse.

Andreas · May 2009

dolemite wrote: »

I've always said that if man came from monkeys, there's no reason to be moral.

I've had a bottle of wine tonight and I can see through the bullshit of that statement mate. Not critisising you or your faith (which you are perfectly entitled to) but you can't say that if some imaginary dude didn't create us, there is no reason to not stab people in the street.

I understand some people need their faith, and thats fine.

Pope Adam · May 2009

chew on this for a bit :P

even the catholics subscribe to evolution. silly creationists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_and_the_Roman_Catholic_Church#Pope_Benedict_XVI

Needles · May 2009

Well finding the exact route of human evolution through bones is pretty much impossible. You would have to find every single skeleton of every single successive individual who ever added into our Dna.

Think of a family tree that goes back 47,000,000 years lol.

Tho i don't think that not having millions of years ( i mean in detail ) of fossil evidence to backup a theory writes it off as not possible.

Wen the other alternative is to follow what a book says without question and put forth my beliefs in fear of what could happen wen i die.... I rather find those bones more convincing of telling me were we came from and were we are headed.

dolemite · May 2009

Blenderhead:
"I've had a bottle of wine tonight and I can see through the bullshit of that statement mate."

hahaha, dude I'm not really a creationist. that's what the "/s" meant. that means "end sarcasm."