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Paleantology

'Ida'could be the 'missing link' between humans and mammals

A.R. | 20 May 2009

A scientific team has discovered 95% of a fossilized skeleton of a monkey-lemur that is 47 million years old. The fossil, which they have named ‘Ida’, could become the missing link of human evolution.

Scientists believe that the impact of this finding in the paleontological world is like “an asteroid falling on Earth”, as they think that the search for a direct connection between mankind and the animal kingdom initiated by Darwin 200 years ago in The theory of Evolution has been accomplished.

The fossil, measuring 53 centimetres in height, has been secretly investigated during the last years by an international team of fossil experts led by the professor of the Natural History Museum of Norway, Jorn Hurum. The scientist considered that Ida is the most complete primate fossil ever found. Specifically it has nails instead of claws and its opposing thumbs, which places it at the beginning of the root of human evolution. The shape of the bone of the heel also brings Ida closer to the human being.

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No cal anar tant lluny, ni en el temps! 10/03/2011
Ostres, però si a la messeta n'es ple! Una mica més crescudets, de llavors ençà han pogut menjar més proteina, però intelectualment molt semblants! hahahahahah

darrel armstrong 12/10/2009
The reactionary sensationalistic mid-nineteenth century phraseology here is no more either an apropriate tribute to Chas. Darwin than it is a fair description of an exceptional and informative fossil. Darwin needed no real 'missing-link' as he recognized that humans are mammals, and the term is as irrelevant today as 'germs' would be in a discussion of the latest findings on HIV. This is much too good a site to offer this kind of garbage. Please stop.

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