Why Ida is such an amazing ancestor

[BurtWorm]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2009/may/19/fossil-ida-evolution

This link takes you to a graphic that highlights some of Ida( the 'missing link' primate fossil)'s most remarkable characteristics. She's really quite a lovable little creature. She made quite an impression in her short life. ;)

:loveya:

[ShortnFiery]

1. What a sweetheart. :-)

Thanks for the link: Very informative and surprisingly ENTERTAINING. ;)

[sammythecat]

2. Weird, but this makes me sad.

Poor Ida.:cry:

Just seeds and fruit.

I love Ida.

[BurtWorm]

3. She was just a baby when she died.

And she'd already had a fracture (from what?) that was healing. Poor little thing.

[sammythecat]

4. I know. I can't stand it.

:cry: :cry:

and all she did was eat seeds and fruit :cry:

[malaise]

5. What a find

Fundies must be screaming every time they hit google today.

[BurtWorm]

6. The funny thing is, the media keep using that phrase 'missing link'

which is not even a useful term biologically, and a misleading one in terms of evolution. There is no one link from the ancestors to us. But the media need a handle and it happens to be one that drives the fundamentalists insane!


PS: Here's an interesting antidote to the Ida hype:

http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2009/05/poor_poor_ida_or_overselling_a.php

[Garbo 2004]

14. Thanks for the link. That article provides a more substantive assessment of the paper than the

pre-arranged marketing campaign and soon to be televised documentary will provide. The Ida paper may indeed be sloppy science but it will be fixed in popular thinking that "the missing link" has been found when the Ida paper, however flawed, doesn't appear to even make this assertion. It likely will be years before the significance of the fossil can be objectively assessed and put in context.

[ThomWV]

7. Praise God that he/she/it left the fossil in such perfect condition that there can be no argument

about what it is and what it represents.

That is how I plan to present my understanding of this truly miraculous find of it to my fundamentalist friends.

[Towlie]

11. Miraculous? A miracle is a suspension of natural law. This is the opposite: a confirmation.

[roguevalley]

12. wonderful

[Critters2]

16. I think it's interesting how the clay around her gives a good outline

of what she looked like with her fur still intact.

I suspect that people are using the "miracle" expression regarding how well preserved she is. Miracle or not, it is mighty impressive, and very rare, of course.

[Oregone]

8. Has anyone seen this recreation yet?

From the Will Farrell documentary:

[Mojo_electro]

9. On a related note...

For those who didn't notice.. Ida is featured on the Google page graphic right now.. kinda neat.

[progressoid]

10. Cool! I posted it below

And welcome to DU!

[Garbo 2004]

13. The scientists are not claiming it is a human ancestor or "the" missing link.

They don't have evidence to support such a claim and they don't make that claim in their report. (Public hype and advertising for a documentary is another matter.) But it is an interesting and significant find. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/may/19/fossil-ida-missing-link

[BurtWorm]

15. Yes, I know.

[Muttocracy]

17. cool X-ray on Nat Geo site:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090519-ida-primate-fossil-link.html