General Chat

Feast your eyes on what a group of scientists call the Holy Grail of human evolution.

A team of researchers Tuesday unveiled an almost perfectly intact fossil of a 47 million-year-old primate they say represents the long-sought missing link between humans and apes.

Officially known as Darwinius masillae, the fossil of the lemur-like creature dubbed Ida shows it had opposable thumbs like humans and fingernails instead of claws.

Scientists say the cat-sized animal's hind legs offer evidence of evolutionary changes that led to primates standing upright - a breakthrough that could finally confirm Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

"This specimen is like finding the Lost Ark for archeologists," lead scientist Jorn Hurum said at a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History.

"It is the scientific equivalent of the Holy Grail. This fossil will probably be the one that will be pictured in all textbooks for the next 100 years."



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/05/19/2009-05-19_missing_link_found_fossil_of_47_millionyearold_primate_sheds_light_on_.html#ixzz0G38argOW&B

all very interesting, but all they need to do is look on here ,sure they could find the misssing links, lol

I was reading about this Rox - I'm always a bit sceptical about scientific discoveries but that's probably because I am quite ignorant about science:) It's interesting stuff but I always assumed there would be more missing links than just the one.

Me too uggers,I dont know enough about it to be honest, but since seeing it on the news Ive been reading about it,its very Interesting and the scientists seem very excited about it all.

Ida was found in 1980, so why as it taken so long to become so important, am i missing something here?

not to take away the credit to the scientists but they would only have to come to the east coast of Scotland to see 3 fine specimens,large brows thick blankets of hair and almost trailing knuckles from the muddy hole they lurk in packs calling themselves the 1st "15" they grunt when wanting fed and groan when getting beat but i can say it's from the male genes not mine lol

There is a TV prog on this next week

I thought the same R.B, It does seem odd:-((

think Ida must be a MP and forgot

Sorry Roxanne,They are about 10yrs late.The original one just resigned from the House of Commons. With more to Follow.**M**.:o)>.pmsl.

I saw this on the news early hours of this morning when I couldnt sleep.

From what it said the fossil had been hidden away for years before they started looking into it scentifically. They could even see the berries Ida had eaten shortly before her death.

I love this sort of thing even if I dont understand most of it lol

think its an important link between the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, to apeman of the African planes.

I think it might be more accurate to say Ida is "evidence of the missing link" than that she is the missing link. ... Yes, google tells me that is being said.

Of course, she's actually evidence of the *link*. ;)

Interesting that she looks more like a cat than a chimp even! But the link isn't really between us and chimps, it's between both of us and a common ancestor somewhere, I think.

Now you mention It Janey ,your right, Ida, does look more like a cat,Ive just gone to take another look:-))

Its a very Interesting subject,I think I might have to read more about it.