3.3 Million Year Old Human Ancestor Fossil Found, page 1

posted on Sep, 20 2006 @ 05:58 PM

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The mostly intact skeleton of a child from the tree of humanity have been discovered in Ethiopia. This find is being called the missing link in human evolution. The skeleton is of a girl from the species Australopithecus, who is also believed to be a human ancestor and the first to walk on two legs. The skeleton has been named Selam, which means peace. Being 3.3 million years old this find is the oldest hominin fossil yet found. Early analysis of the fossil suggests that the species was on the cusp of transition to a bipedal ground based existence, which is one of the most crucial events of modern anatomy.

www.timesonline.co.uk
She has also been nicknamed "little Lucy", after the famous specimen of the same species discovered just 4km (2.5 miles) away in 1974, which was named Lucy as the scientists who found her were listening to the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

Early analysis of Selam has already started to transform understanding of a pivotal stage in the evolutionary process that led ultimately to Homo sapiens. Her anatomical features lie squarely in between those of humans and other apes, showing adaptations both for walking upright on two legs and for climbing and swinging from trees.

This suggests that the species lived on the cusp of the human family’s transition to a bipedal, ground-based existence, which is generally accepted as one of the most crucial events in the emergence of the modern anatomy.

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When I first saw this news report I thought it was great that another fossil was found that is so old. This is being called the missing link in human evolution. I don't know what will become of that statement. This fossil is in the same category as "Lucy" which was found 32 years ago but this fossil is just much younger in age, died at aproxmently 3 years of age. Just about every expert in the field of palaeoanthropology is hailing this as the find of a lifetime. I wish them all the best in years that will come for the study of this find.

Related News Links:
msnbc.msn.com
news.nationalgeographic.com
tod ay.reuters.co.uk

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grover

posted on Sep, 21 2006 @ 07:58 PM

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COOL!!! we have EVOLVED a long way from that. Except of course those who don't believe in evolution. They haven't evolved at all.

Agit8dChop

posted on Sep, 21 2006 @ 08:08 PM

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This is a great day for religion.

Because it finally shows how much utter BS it is.

Yeah right.. like man and women all of a sudden '' appeared ''

If this is true, and its a link between Ape and Man... I will be ecstatic and will go out of my way to seek out die hard religous figures... and ask them...
why god created MONKEY... and not man.

marg6043

posted on Sep, 21 2006 @ 08:23 PM

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The finds are remarkable I hope that is stick with the time frame it has been given.

We know how often when a find like this is exposed the horde of anti evolution groups comes forward to discredit the finds.

I saw the skeleton on TV and did look just like any other human skeleton.

I love when new discoveries are shown to the world.

RedGolem

posted on Sep, 21 2006 @ 09:41 PM

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There will always be those who dont belive in evolution, and nothing will change there minds. However that does not mean that this discovery can not still be studied. Even the die hard creationist study a fosile when that is his profeshion.

Weather or not this fossile is a predacessor to humanity is a topic that will never be settled, but will always be something that can be studied.