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Originally Posted by PonyPotato
Anthropology nerd here.
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That's the best kind of nerd!
Quote:
Originally Posted by PonyPotato
I haven't read enough about this specific fossil to comment much, other than that it makes me a little sad that people hardly ever take interest in anthropology unless it's a big find like this - or something like Lucy.
Personally, I would argue that we will never find a "true" missing link between apes/monkeys/humans because the way that evolution occurs means that a single identifiable species that split into three different lines (or even two distinct lines) may not actually exist, and probably will not exist in the very limited fossil record.
It's most likely that a species of early primate split into two populations, each of those populations undergoing changes that eventually led to apes and humans as two distinct ends. The phases in between may or may not be distinct - it's likely that the two populations were capable of interbreeding for a while, though appearing to be distinct species (especially by that standard by which we must classify species in fossils), but eventually one group became isolated enough to evolve differently.
It's difficult to draw lines between species, because there are MANY different definitions of the term, and the fossil definition of species is different from the biological definition, as we can't quite test an interbreeding theory on creatures that lived millions of years ago.
/end nerd-rant
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Sure, it's highly improbable that we'll fine the specific species from which we diverged, but it's not impossible. If this is that species, if it can be demonstrated through rigorous testing that this is the common ancestor, this will be one of the great archeological finds of the century. it will help us better understand the divergence that eventually meant the difference between advanced motor skills and basic society on one side and technology, language and civilization on the other. It's goosebump inspiring!
And you're right, just like the Raiders need fans more when they're not winning, anthropology needs anthropology nerds in the times between Lucys.