Fossil Find fills Evolution Gap

[S O F I]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12286206/

WASHINGTON - The latest fossil unearthed from a human ancestral hot spot in Africa allows scientists to link together the most complete chain of human evolution so far.

The 4.2 million-year-old fossil discovered in northeastern Ethiopia helps scientists fill in the gaps of how human ancestors made the giant leap from one species to another. That’s because the newest fossil, the species Australopithecus anamensis, was found in the region of the Middle Awash — where seven other human-like species spanning nearly 6 million years and three major phases of human development were previously discovered.

“We just found the chain of evolution, the continuity through time,” study co-author and Ethiopian anthropologist Berhane Asfaw said in a phone interview from Addis Ababa. “One form evolved to another. This is evidence of evolution in one place through time.”

The findings were reported Thursday in the scientific journal Nature.

The species anamensis is not new, but its location is what helps explain the shift from one early phase of human-like development to the next, scientists say. All eight species were within an easy day’s walk of each other.

Until now, what scientists had were snapshots of human evolution scattered around the world. Finding everything all in one general area makes those snapshots more of a mini home movie of evolution.

“It’s like 12 frames of a home movie, but a home movie covering 6 million years,” said study lead author Tim White, co-director of Human Evolution Research Center at University of California at Berkeley.

“The key here is the sequences,” White said. “It’s about a mile thickness of rocks in the Middle Awash and in it we can see all three phases of human evolution.”

Modern man belongs to the genus Homo, which is a subgroup in the family of hominids. What evolved into Homo was likely the genus Australopithecus (once called “man-ape”), which includes the famed 3.2 million-year-old “Lucy” fossil found three decades ago. A key candidate for the genus that evolved into Australopithecus is called Ardipithecus. And Thursday’s finding is important in bridging — but not completely — the gap between Australopithecus and Ardipithecus.


David L. Brill / Brill Atlanta
Scientists work at the site in northeastern Ethiopia where the fossil discovery was made. Seven other human-like species spanning nearly 6 million years have been found in the same Middle Awash region.
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In 1994, a 4.4 million-year-old partial skeleton of the species Ardipithecus ramidus — the most recent Ardipithecus species — was found about six miles from the latest discovery.

“This appears to be the link between Australopithecus and Ardipithecus as two different species,” White said. The major noticeable difference between the phases of man can be seen in Australopithecus’ bigger chewing teeth to eat harder food, he said.

While it’s looking more likely, it is not a sure thing that Ardipithecus evolved into Australopithecus, he said. The finding does not completely rule out Ardipithecus dying off as a genus and Australopithecus developing independently.

The connections between Ardipithecus and Australopithecus have been theorized since an anamensis fossil was first found in Kenya 11 years ago. This draws the lines better, said Alan Walker of Penn State University, who found the first anamensis and is not part of White’s team.

Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program, agreed: “For those people who are tied up in doing the whole human family tree, being able to connect the branches is a very important thing to do.”

This explains many things. For one, why this girl in my class looks like a monkey.

 

[PELLA]

fucked up

 

[Cheesyphily16]

This explains many things. For one, why this girl in my class looks like a monkey.

lol

 

[Glockmatic]

all lies, those fossils were put there by god to fool us!!!

 

[yurdady1]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12286206/



This explains many things. For one, why this girl in my class looks like a monkey.

u being racist?

 

[Valeoz]

^^
are you being racist? did you see monkey and immediately think Black?

 

[Duke]

^ lol nice one.

Im not surprised by this find. Matter of time before all the blanks are filled in.

 

[Helena]

i don't believe in evolution

 

[PELLA]

^ u should, cause its what happened...God just started the snowball and pushed it down the hill

 

[Glockmatic]

i don't believe in evolution

i don't believe in YOU

 

[Snowman]

i don't believe in evolution

Amen:thumb:

Theres no such thing People. Evolution is a word made up by Man. the earth is not millions of years old. the earth is at least 3000 yrs old.

Creationist an Im proud of it.


Msnbc an the bullshit articles

*Hate all you want evolution is BS, im not gonna argue with you*

 

[Duke]

Amen:thumb:

Theres no such thing People. Evolution is a word made up by Man. the earth is not millions of years old. the earth is at least 3000 yrs old.

All true. We did make the word up. The earth is indeed at least 3000 years old. The earth is also indeed NOT millions of years old. Try billions.


You tried so hard to disagree and now look at you

 

[Shahin]

Creationist an Im proud of it.

Creationism is a word made up by man too, what's your point?

 

[Snowman]

All true. We did make the word up. The earth is indeed at least 3000 years old. The earth is also indeed NOT millions of years old. Try billions.


You tried so hard to disagree and now look at you

WOW :laugh: your really off the deep end with that. Our Earth 3000 yrs old. not billions. if the earth was billions of years old our fossils would degrade become dust. But yet our fossils still remain.

Creationist Believes God created the Heavens an the universe. its in your bible.

Evolutionist believes the big bang theory, an explosion an life began, no not true. We evolved from Monkeys BULL SHIT. were not Mammals.

GOD>MAN>ANIMALS. a Monkey is an Animal.

 

[Glockmatic]

^^ that just shows your ignorance. We are mammals, we have everything other mammals have; hearts, lungs, stomachs,brains, we need the same thing they need to live; air, food, water. We have the same basic senses as them; sight, smell, touch, hearing.

Earth is billions of years old, but life isn't. Life has been on earth for maybe half a billion years, and yes bones degrade to dust, but some don't. Some are in a perfect enviroment for preservation like tar or deep mud. If a mummy can survive 2000 years in an open enviroment i don't see why a skeleton can't in mud.

Earth being 3000 years old? Theres hyroglphs in egypt dating back to 3200bc, so either the Egyptians had a time machine or you're wrong. Hmmmmmm

 

[Little Skittle]

WOW :laugh: your really off the deep end with that. Our Earth 3000 yrs old. not billions. if the earth was billions of years old our fossils would degrade become dust. But yet our fossils still remain.

Creationist Believes God created the Heavens an the universe. its in your bible.

Evolutionist believes the big bang theory, an explosion an life began, no not true. We evolved from Monkeys BULL SHIT. were not Mammals.

GOD>MAN>ANIMALS. a Monkey is an Animal.

The earth is billions of years old...those fossils are not. That's why they aren't dust. Where did God come from? There are so many holes in the creationist theory it's not even funny.

 

[Duke]

WOW :laugh: your really off the deep end with that. Our Earth 3000 yrs old. not billions. if the earth was billions of years old our fossils would degrade become dust. But yet our fossils still remain.

Creationist Believes God created the Heavens an the universe. its in your bible.

Evolutionist believes the big bang theory, an explosion an life began, no not true. We evolved from Monkeys BULL SHIT. were not Mammals.

GOD>MAN>ANIMALS. a Monkey is an Animal.

lmao @ we're not mammals.

read a book or something. damn

 

[Snowman]

^^ that just shows your ignorance. We are mammals, we have everything other mammals have; hearts, lungs, stomachs,brains, we need the same thing they need to live; air, food, water. We have the same basic senses as them; sight, smell, touch, hearing.

Earth is billions of years old, but life isn't. Life has been on earth for maybe half a billion years, and yes bones degrade to dust, but some don't. Some are in a perfect enviroment for preservation like tar or deep mud. If a mummy can survive 2000 years in an open enviroment i don't see why a skeleton can't in mud.

Earth being 3000 years old? Theres hyroglphs in egypt dating back to 3200bc, so either the Egyptians had a time machine or you're wrong. Hmmmmmm

Whatever you believe what you wanna believe, I believe what i wanna believe. (my way is Right :thumb: )

We'll Find out when we go before God when we get judged when we die. All Bones degrade to dust.


Were Not Mammals, Do You Really want To be considered in the same class as a Monkey? Do You eat bugs out of your friends an familys head. do you jump outta trees? Were above Monkeys were HUMAN BEINGS a Class By itself.


Duke it sounds like you need to read a book, brother :fury:

 

[Chronic]

Do You Really want To be considered in the same class as a Monkey? Do You eat bugs out of your friends an familys head. do you jump outta trees? Were above Monkeys were HUMAN BEINGS a Class By itself.

I'm more ashamed to be part of the human race really.

PS: I hope you fall on a sharp stick.

 

[Casey]

I'm more ashamed to be part of the human race really.

PS: I hope you fall on a sharp stick.

LOL