An Idea

[austintorn@aol.com]

Ancient Skeleton May Shed Light on Human Evolution
Updated: 35 minutes ago

Michelle Ruiz Contributor
AOL News

(April 4) -- The missing link between humans and their ape-like predecessors could be filled in this week with the unveiling of a 2 million-year-old skeleton believed to be that of a new species of evolutionary primate, according to the London Telegraph.

The almost-complete fossilized child's skeleton, discovered in a limestone cave in South Africa by Professor Lee Berger of the country's University of the Witwatersrand, is believed to provide new clues about the evolutionary gap between the ape-like Australopithecus afarenis, which emerged almost 4 million years ago, and Homo habilis, the first species of advanced humans, which emerged 2.5 million years ago.

Scientists found a nearly-complete fossilized skeleton that may be a missing link in the evolution of humans in a cave in South Africa's Sterkfontein region. Here, tourists explore a cave in the area last year.

The new species is believed to be a hominid, a group of evolutionary primates including humans, that existed during the intermediary phase when apelike species evolved into humans.

South African President Jacob Zuma has visited the university to view the fossils ahead of Thursday's much-anticipated unveiling.

Some scientists are hailing the discovery as a significant revelation. Professor Phillip Tobias, an eminent human anatomist, colleague of Professor Berger and one of three experts to first identify Homo habilis in 1964, called the finding "wonderful" and "exciting."

"To find a skeleton as opposed to a couple of teeth or an arm bone is a rarity," Tobias told the Telegraph, adding that "it is one thing to find a lower jaw with a couple of teeth, but it is another thing to find the jaw joined onto the skull, and those in turn uniting further down with the spinal column, pelvis and the limb bones."

The skeleton is believed to have been preserved by the limestone contained in the Malapa cave where it was found in the Sterkfontein region of South Africa, considered part of the "Cradle of Humanity."

Experts said the discovery of a nearly-complete skeleton was noteworthy as the fossil record of early human species has largely been built through the study of small, disjointed bones. Skull fragments and jaw, finger, hand and wrist bones have thus far provided the best clues about the early human species like Homo habilis.

The new skeleton could provide new clues about the transition between the human species and its extinct, apelike ancestors. The pelvis and limb bones of the new skeleton could shed light on how apelike hominids began to stand upright. The hand bones could provide evidence about when modern humans began to use stone tools.

"A find like this could really increase our understanding of our early ancestors at a time when they first started to become recognizable as human," Dr. Simon Underdown, an expert on human evolution at Oxford Brookes University, told the Telegraph.

The unveiling of the fossilized skeleton Thursday will reportedly set off a media campaign and inspire a television documentary.

The finding is said to be the most important of its kind since an almost-complete fossil of a 3.3 million year old Australopithecus, nicknamed Little Foot, was found in Sterkfontein in 1994.

[labelwench]

Too bad about State?

An official period of mourning is hereby declared for all supporters of the vanquished basketball team.

Was it at least a worthy game?

[Profpat]

Well don't tell that to Greg, Austin he told me there was no missing link.

[Profpat]

Too bad about State?

An official period of mourning is hereby declared for all supporters of the vanquished basketball team.

Was it at least a worthy game?

Close but no cigar labelwench. 2 point spread.

[Bogie]

Too bad about State?

An official period of mourning is hereby declared for all supporters of the vanquished basketball team.

Was it at least a worthy game?

Gesh, I opened a beer, a rare event, and bought a bag of pretzels, another rare event, and sat back and watched a frustrating game. I have to admit on that day Butler out played MSU, but MSU got into foul trouble early and couldn't quite pull it out . Oh well, I enjoyed the beer and pretzels.

[labelwench]

Close but no cigar labelwench. 2 point spread.

Ah well, Prof, as an aspiring sled dog racer, I remember being overtaken by the local favorite, whose dog-team then soon over-heated. I could have called for trail again, yet I was intimidated as he was an adult professional, and myself just a teenager.

I stood on the brake of my sled for many minutes before I finally went by.

This was a three day event of 35 miles a day.

When the aggregate time was added up, I finished in second place by the sum of one second over 105 miles.

Yes, I know something of close finishes, lol......

[labelwench]

Gesh, I opened a beer, a rare event, and bought a bag of pretzels, another rare event, and sat back and watched a frustrating game. I have to admit on that day Butler out played MSU, but MSU got into foul trouble early and couldn't quite pull it out . Oh well, I enjoyed the beer and pretzels.

Now that's looking at a valuable measure.

For your next sporting event, may I suggest you really spoil yourself?

Get an over-sized, over-proof beer (Canadian beer has more bang for your buck!) and maybe try some of those fancy organic potato chips with a delicate yet creamy dip? Does wonders for the nerves when those scores start running close......

What are the appropriate words........oh yes.......

I am sorry for your loss....

[Bogie]

Ah well, Prof, as an aspiring sled dog racer, I remember being overtaken by the local favorite, whose dog-team then soon over-heated. I could have called for trail again, yet I was intimidated as he was an adult professional, and myself just a teenager.

I stood on the brake of my sled for many minutes before I finally went by.

This was a three day event of 35 miles a day.

When the aggregate time was added up, I finished in second place by the sum of one second over 105 miles.

Yes, I know something of close finishes, lol......

... and hard lessons.

[Mikal]

Ancient Skeleton May Shed Light on Human Evolution
Updated: 35 minutes ago

Michelle Ruiz Contributor
AOL News

(April 4) -- The missing link between humans and their ape-like predecessors could be filled in this week with the unveiling of a 2 million-year-old skeleton believed to be that of a new species of evolutionary primate, according to the London Telegraph.

The almost-complete fossilized child's skeleton, discovered in a limestone cave in South Africa by Professor Lee Berger of the country's University of the Witwatersrand, is believed to provide new clues about the evolutionary gap between the ape-like Australopithecus afarenis, which emerged almost 4 million years ago, and Homo habilis, the first species of advanced humans, which emerged 2.5 million years ago.

Scientists found a nearly-complete fossilized skeleton that may be a missing link in the evolution of humans in a cave in South Africa's Sterkfontein region. Here, tourists explore a cave in the area last year.

The new species is believed to be a hominid, a group of evolutionary primates including humans, that existed during the intermediary phase when apelike species evolved into humans.

South African President Jacob Zuma has visited the university to view the fossils ahead of Thursday's much-anticipated unveiling.

Some scientists are hailing the discovery as a significant revelation. Professor Phillip Tobias, an eminent human anatomist, colleague of Professor Berger and one of three experts to first identify Homo habilis in 1964, called the finding "wonderful" and "exciting."

"To find a skeleton as opposed to a couple of teeth or an arm bone is a rarity," Tobias told the Telegraph, adding that "it is one thing to find a lower jaw with a couple of teeth, but it is another thing to find the jaw joined onto the skull, and those in turn uniting further down with the spinal column, pelvis and the limb bones."

The skeleton is believed to have been preserved by the limestone contained in the Malapa cave where it was found in the Sterkfontein region of South Africa, considered part of the "Cradle of Humanity."

Experts said the discovery of a nearly-complete skeleton was noteworthy as the fossil record of early human species has largely been built through the study of small, disjointed bones. Skull fragments and jaw, finger, hand and wrist bones have thus far provided the best clues about the early human species like Homo habilis.

The new skeleton could provide new clues about the transition between the human species and its extinct, apelike ancestors. The pelvis and limb bones of the new skeleton could shed light on how apelike hominids began to stand upright. The hand bones could provide evidence about when modern humans began to use stone tools.

"A find like this could really increase our understanding of our early ancestors at a time when they first started to become recognizable as human," Dr. Simon Underdown, an expert on human evolution at Oxford Brookes University, told the Telegraph.

The unveiling of the fossilized skeleton Thursday will reportedly set off a media campaign and inspire a television documentary.

The finding is said to be the most important of its kind since an almost-complete fossil of a 3.3 million year old Australopithecus, nicknamed Little Foot, was found in Sterkfontein in 1994.

Quote by Paulo Freire:

“Man has never been an animal. Man is an uncompleted being, man is the only one to treat not only his actions but his very self as the object of his reflection; this capacity distinguishes him from the animals, which are unable to separate themselves from their activity and thus are unable to reflect upon it. In this apparently superficial distinction lie the boundaries which de-limit the actions of each in his life-space.

Because the animals’ activity is an extension of themselves, the results of that activity are also inseparable from themselves: animals can neither set objectives nor infuse their transformation of nature with any significance beyond itself. Moreover, the “decision” to perform this activity belongs not to them but to their species. Animals are accordingly fundamentally “beings in themselves.” Unable to decide for themselves, unable to objectify either themselves or their activity, lacking objectives which they themselves have set, living “submerged” in a world which they can give no meaning, lacking a tomorrow and a today because they exist in an over-whelming present—animals are ahistorical.

Their ahistorical life does not occur in the world, taken in its strict meaning; for the animal the world does not constitute a “not I” which could set him apart as an “I.” Animals are not challenged by the configurations which confront them—they are merely stimulated. Their life is not one of risk-taking, for they are not aware of taking risks. Risks are not challenges perceived upon reflection, but merely noted by the signs which indicate them; they accordingly do not require decision-making responses—consequently animals cannot commit themselves.

Their ahistorical condition does not permit them to “take on life.” Because they do not take it on, they cannot construct it and if they do not construct it, they cannot conform its configurations. Nor can they know themselves to be destroyed by life for they cannot expand their “prop” world into a meaningful symbolic world which includes culture and history. As a result, animals do not “animalize” their configuration in order to animalize themselves—nor do they de-animalize themselves—even in the forests they remain beings in themselves, as animal-like there as in the zoo—Man has never been an animal!


Pretty thought provoking discourse and I always wonder why there is not more of this very, critical thought as to the dilemma of saying Man evolved from the ape….

Regards Mikal

[Bogie]

...

Pretty thought provoking discourse and I always wonder why there is not more of this very, critical thought as to the dilemma of saying Man evolved from the ape….

Regards Mikal

Maybe because there is nothing contrary between man evolving beyond the basic animal instincts and mentality into contemplative individuals in a fashion consistent with the nature of the eternal universe.