Slashdot Mirror
Fossil Primate Ardipithecus Ramidus Described (Finally)
Omomyid writes "I wasn't actually aware that Dr. Tim White of UC Berkeley had been 'sitting' on A. ramidus but apparently he has (I remember the original flurry of interest back in the '90s when it was announced), but now Dr. White and others have assembled a nearly complete skeleton of the 4.4mya specimen and the descriptions being carried by the NY Times and the AP are intriguing. Ramidus is clearly differentiated from the other Great Apes and also more primitive than A. afarensis (Lucy), providing a nice linkage backwards to the last shared ancestor between humans and chimpanzees. According to the NY Times, a whole passel of papers will be published in tomorrow's Science magazine describing A. ramidus."
Update — 10/01 at 22:05 GMT by SS: Reader John Hawks provided a link to his detailed blog post about Ardipithecus, which contains a ton of additional details not covered in the above articles.
Now, as you can clearly see, there are TWO gaps in the fossil record, where before there was only one!
Nice try, science! /s
Wow, I saw her walking down Ash street the other night. I didn't know they had crack 4.4 million years ago!
Free Martian Whores!
We have a link between Conservatives and Homo Sapiens!
...can she run Linux?
No.
The OS designed for monkeys is MS Windows.
I'm not sure where you get the idea we're more social. Both members of genus Pan are highly socialized (pygmy chimps are probably more socialized than humans are).
Umm... Do they have Facebook? I thought not. So obviously they are even less social than me.
They are also
the step-siblings of the Flat-Earthers http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskopf/Flatearthsociety.htm
I don't know if you noticed, but brain matter doesn't fossilize particularly well.
I disagree. You should see some of the effing fossils I work with.
"I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
I'm not sure where you get the idea we're more social. Both members of genus Pan are highly socialized (pygmy chimps are probably more socialized than humans are).
Umm... Do they have Facebook? I thought not. So obviously they are even less social than me.
Perhaps, but Bonobos (pygmy chimps) clearly get laid more than you do.
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
- Douglas Adams
"I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
I don't know if you noticed, but brain matter doesn't fossilize particularly well.
Of course it does. That's how you make congresscritters.
I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
The reincarnation of Hitler and the antichrist. (Where does he find the time?)
a photo of a minority at a teabag party
Uh... you might want to be more specific. Cus I'm pretty sure I saw a website devoted entirely to that subject.
The enemies of Democracy are
I say, thou heathen, that thy lack of belief in the great and mighty Flying Spaghetti Monster will be thy downfall. The great and holy FSM shall descend up thou and thy offspring, yeah onto the seventh generation. And thou shall weep tears of sorrow and wear clothes stained with marinara sauce for thy inequity.
All praise be, now brethren lets us break the garlic bread of brotherhood and bow our heads in supplication, Amen.
who prays for Satan? Who in 18 centuries has had the humanity to pray for the 1 sinner that needed it most? ~Mark Twain
You might recall that John Hinckley was a seriously deranged young man who shot President Reagan in the early 1980's.
Hinckley was absolutely obsessed with movie star Jodie Foster, extremely jealous, and in his twisted mind, loved Jodie Foster to the point that to make himself well known to her, he attempted to assassinate President Reagan.
There is speculation Hinckley may soon be released as having been rehabilitated. Consequently, you may appreciate the following letter from Nancy Reagan to the staff at the mental facility treating Hinckley reports to have intercepted:
To: John Hinckley
From: Mrs. Nancy Reagan
My family and I wanted to drop you a short note to tell you how pleased we are with the great strides you are making in your recovery. In our fine country's spirit of understanding and forgiveness, we want you to know there is a nonpartisan consensus of compassion and forgiveness throughout.
The Reagan family and I want you to know that no grudge is borne against you for shooting President Reagan. We, above all, are aware of how the mental stress and pain could have driven you to such an act of desperation. We are confident that you will soon make a complete recovery and return to your family to join the world again as a healthy and productive young man.
Best wishes,
Nancy Reagan & Family
P.S. While you have been incarcerated, Barack Obama has been banging Jodie Foster like a screen door in a tornado. You might want to look into that.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
Oh yeah? Well if apes aren't inferior, then why do we have writing and houses and cars and microprocessors and big office buildings with cubicle farms where we go to work every day and mortgages to pay off, while they just sit around lounging in the sun taking naps and eating fruit?
You forgot digital watches. It's all about the digital watches.
(I don't have a digital watch. *sigh* My life is incomplete.)