Category: News Author : Duncan Riley Posted: May 20, 2009
Tags : creationists, darwinism, darwinius masillae, evolution, missing link, missing link found
According to paleontologist Jorn Hurum, the fossil of a Lemur-like primate found in Germany is a monumental discovery and could be an important ‘Missing Link‘ in human evolution.
Missing Link Found – Darwinius masillae
Hurm says the fossil, known in science as Darwinius masillae, bridges an important evolutionary gap between higher primates such as monkeys and apes and lemurs, and humans. Ida represents “the closest thing we can get to a direct ancestor.”
The extremely well preserved lemur-like skeleton has characteristics common to modern primates, like grasping hands, opposable thumbs, clawless digits with fingernails, and relatively short, strong limbs. The skeleton has amazing detail, even the outline of the animal’s fur can be seen.
Brian Richmond, a biological anthropologist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., says:
“This specimen looks like a really early fossil monkey that belongs to the group that includes us. [Ida] is one of the important branching points on the evolutionary tree, but it’s not the only branching point.”
This is an exciting discovery that bridges the gap between the different primates, but there are still many gaps to be filled; mainly the one where primates and humans branch off to develop as unique species.
And this new discovery has brought out the creationists who argue that there is no relation between primates and humans and that’s why a true missing link will never be found – that humans are a unique and share nothing in common with other species. That we were created separately, regardless of what science proves.
So, dear Inquisitr readers – did you evolve like everything else on this planet, or were you created by ???
May 20, 2009
God made monkeys, God made humans. He used designs that look similar. No surpise there.
May 20, 2009
Just becuase two of my art projects look alike does not mean that one evolved out of the other. God is able to make two things look alike also. That does not mean that the evolved.
May 20, 2009
We did not eveolve from damn monkeys. The bible clearly states in Genesis that He created man and woman in the Garden of Eden along with nature.
May 20, 2009
I'm glad to know that, “That does not mean that the evolved.” Just a hint, people may listen to you if you learn to use correct English. Has anyone else noticed that by and large, creationists rarely use either correct grammar or logic?
May 20, 2009
If you actually believe in creationism, you know that you have to refute every transitionairy fossil ever found, including the one in this article. Also, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the earth is older than 6000 years. Please stop hindering the growth of our species by trying to promote creationism. Especially if you're one of the people trying to get it taught in schools.
May 20, 2009
hahaha good one Grayson! you are comedy personified.
May 20, 2009
awesome.
May 20, 2009
On 22 October 1996, in a speech to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences plenary session at the Vatican, Pope John Paul II declared the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin as factual, and wholly compatible with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
May 20, 2009
There is no such thing as evolution! Evolution is simply a dreamed up belief system created in hopes of escaping all connection to God. We studied evolution in school and I found it very comical that evolution goes against many scientific “principles” that it claims to be true, and the supposed “missing links” will never be found, because they do not exsist! The only place that the “missing links” exsist is in the minds of evolutionist, and they can not be found on earth because there is nothing to link. Animals and humans only have one conection and that is through our Creator who created all things and even he put mankind above animals and above all other creation on earth. God loves us and because of that we will ALWAYS be set apart from animals.
God loves you more than you can ever understand. God has sent His one and only son to save us. Today may be your last day on earth. Do you know what would happen to you if you died? If you do not, please read John 3:16. God loves you and cares about you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. -Psalm 139:13-14
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16
May 20, 2009
so the second to last paragraph says that creationists are saying that we were created separately regardless of what science proves but science has not proven that humans evolved from apes yet and they still have not found a missing link. and the evolutionists are puting this discovery out there like they have got 100 percent proof of there evolutionary theory with this new discovery but it doesnt give any closer relation between monkeys and humans. and i really dont want to sound one sided either cause i know there are creationists out there that are never open minded but it is dafinately hte same for evolutionists but im not going to change what i believe because they found something that looks evem less like a monkey. Faith is too valuable tio just throw away just because an evolutionist says that he has prooven evolution but they really dont have anything that is a really solid assumption.
May 20, 2009
I think that God should be brought back into the schools because without God the schools will fail!
and the earth is about 10,000 years old.
May 20, 2009
jfksdjflksjdflksjdflkjsdlfkjsldkfjlsdkjflsjflskdj
May 20, 2009
Wrong way round. Selection produced monkeys, monkeys selectively evolved into humans. Humans created god in their image, we used a design that looked familiar.
May 20, 2009
We'll never find those missing links eh? What about the one we JUST found at the beginning of this article? And evolution does not dispute any other scientific prinicples, that creationism.
Also don't quote the bible as fact when it was created by man and is filled with contradictions. Not to mention it talks about the existence of unicorns. Or how about the propostorous Noah story? Or the “christsian scienctist” Kent Hovind who claims that there was a ring out water that surrounded the world which started the flood? Or that a single trop of water would cover the entire world if you stretched it far enough. All the creationists on this board are probably very nice people, just stop claiming creationism as fact. Believe in God (or any of the other hundreds of gods for that matter) all you like, just please accept reality. God doesn't have all the answers for you when you feel sad, or when you need something. YOU have the power to change something you don't like, not some mystical being that floats in the sky.
May 20, 2009
Having God in schools is probably the reason you are so stunted. Keep education focussed on the literary and scientific accomplishments of humanity. Leave the ideology and propaganda at home. It is not your right to force a faith or belief system onto another, especially if they are a child who has not yet had a chance to draw his or her own opinion.
May 20, 2009
So you're saying that you disagree with creationism and that it's not 6000 years old, but in fact 10000 years old? A creationist contradicting themselves? Never seen that one before. Also, carbon dating and radiometric dating shows us that the earth is at the very least 4.5-4.6 billion years old. Just thought I'd educate you a little today since apparently “schools are failing without religion”.
May 20, 2009
why arnt we still evolving ? why arnt there like half evolved humans?
May 20, 2009
Just because they THINK that they found a missing link does not mean that they really did. and although the Bible was written by men it was inspired by God and then men who wrote it were simply tools used by God, and the only truth in the world is the Bible and that which God speaks.
All things are possible with God and God created ALL things!
May 20, 2009
Spot on Ryan.
Do creationists also think the Universe is 6000 (or 10,000) years old? If no, then why did god wait to create his “masterpiece”? If yes, then I'd really like to know how they explain where the star light from outside (and inside) the Milky Way comes from….
Maybe it's just from the holes in the sky where the light from heaven drips in….
May 20, 2009
I'm sorry you feel that way but people have been trying to take God out of the schools and out of this country for years and it will cause both to fail.
May 20, 2009
FYI the earth is from 6,000 to 10,000 years old!
May 20, 2009
FYI the earth is from 6,000 to 10,000 years old!
May 20, 2009
FYI the earth is from 6,000 to 10,000 years old!
May 20, 2009
FYI the earth is from 6,000 to 10,000 years old!
May 20, 2009
FYI the earth is from 6,000 to 10,000 years old!
May 20, 2009
FYI the earth is from 6,000 to 10,000 years old!
May 20, 2009
FYI the earth is from 6,000 to 10,000 years old!
May 20, 2009
Ahahaha, 10,000 years? Try again.
Honestly, Creationists must use a “logic” that states a god created the universe in such a way that things at the time of their creation seemed by scientific methods to be millions of years old. This logic could just as easily be used to support the theory that the universe was created ten MINUTES ago! So, either the universe has existed a lot longer than ten thousands years, or we may as well have all been created in the last five minutes and we just think we've been alive for more than that. It's up to you.
Personally, I'm gonna stick with the method of thought that doesn't cause me to question my existence every time I open my eyes.
May 20, 2009
Ahahaha, 10,000 years? Try again.
Honestly, Creationists must use a “logic” that states a god created the universe in such a way that things at the time of their creation seemed by scientific methods to be millions of years old. This logic could just as easily be used to support the theory that the universe was created ten MINUTES ago! So, either the universe has existed a lot longer than ten thousands years, or we may as well have all been created in the last five minutes and we just think we've been alive for more than that. It's up to you.
Personally, I'm gonna stick with the method of thought that doesn't cause me to question my existence every time I open my eyes.
May 20, 2009
Ahahaha, 10,000 years? Try again.
Honestly, Creationists must use a “logic” that states a god created the universe in such a way that things at the time of their creation seemed by scientific methods to be millions of years old. This logic could just as easily be used to support the theory that the universe was created ten MINUTES ago! So, either the universe has existed a lot longer than ten thousands years, or we may as well have all been created in the last five minutes and we just think we've been alive for more than that. It's up to you.
Personally, I'm gonna stick with the method of thought that doesn't cause me to question my existence every time I open my eyes.
May 20, 2009
Ahahaha, 10,000 years? Try again.
Honestly, Creationists must use a “logic” that states a god created the universe in such a way that things at the time of their creation seemed by scientific methods to be millions of years old. This logic could just as easily be used to support the theory that the universe was created ten MINUTES ago! So, either the universe has existed a lot longer than ten thousands years, or we may as well have all been created in the last five minutes and we just think we've been alive for more than that. It's up to you.
Personally, I'm gonna stick with the method of thought that doesn't cause me to question my existence every time I open my eyes.
May 20, 2009
Ahahaha, 10,000 years? Try again.
Honestly, Creationists must use a “logic” that states a god created the universe in such a way that things at the time of their creation seemed by scientific methods to be millions of years old. This logic could just as easily be used to support the theory that the universe was created ten MINUTES ago! So, either the universe has existed a lot longer than ten thousands years, or we may as well have all been created in the last five minutes and we just think we've been alive for more than that. It's up to you.
Personally, I'm gonna stick with the method of thought that doesn't cause me to question my existence every time I open my eyes.
May 20, 2009
Ahahaha, 10,000 years? Try again.
Honestly, Creationists must use a “logic” that states a god created the universe in such a way that things at the time of their creation seemed by scientific methods to be millions of years old. This logic could just as easily be used to support the theory that the universe was created ten MINUTES ago! So, either the universe has existed a lot longer than ten thousands years, or we may as well have all been created in the last five minutes and we just think we've been alive for more than that. It's up to you.
Personally, I'm gonna stick with the method of thought that doesn't cause me to question my existence every time I open my eyes.
May 20, 2009
Ahahaha, 10,000 years? Try again.
Honestly, Creationists must use a “logic” that states a god created the universe in such a way that things at the time of their creation seemed by scientific methods to be millions of years old. This logic could just as easily be used to support the theory that the universe was created ten MINUTES ago! So, either the universe has existed a lot longer than ten thousands years, or we may as well have all been created in the last five minutes and we just think we've been alive for more than that. It's up to you.
Personally, I'm gonna stick with the method of thought that doesn't cause me to question my existence every time I open my eyes.
May 20, 2009
Well, I wish them luck. I agree there is a place for God, even though I ascribe to evolution in its entirety. But that place is never at a venue where there is no choice but to attend, i.e. in a school or as part of a democratic political system. I do not support that idea morality is any way dependent on religion.
May 20, 2009
Evolution is an incredibly slow process. Though we're thought to be at an evolutionary stand-still right now because there isn't a need for it (Of course i could be very wrong here, only time will tell). Though that's just the physical part of it. One major thing in humans that's still growing is the use of our brain. We can only use around 10% of our brains full potential. Also, evolution doesn't work like that. At this point in time we're far enough down the line that all humans are the same really. Obviously not exactly the same, but you know what I'm getting at.
May 20, 2009
FYI is about as convincing an argument as “God did it, no really, he did, I read it somewhere”.
May 20, 2009
If everyone still sticks to scientific fact the score is still
evolutionists 0 creationists 0
Until someone has hard facts, everyone should stop presenting opinions ans everything but.
Put another way – Everybody SHUT UP!
May 20, 2009
What about entropy? Don't all things work toward greater disorder, and if so, how then did creation start out as a single cell and become so complex?
May 20, 2009
We are still evolving, though the advent of technology has in some ways slowed our evolution as we're no longer subject to quite the same aspects of natural selection as we woudl be if we lived in the wild being stalked by predators and foraging for food.
But evolution is a very long process which takes place across hundreds of thousands generations. We can't see that many alive in our lifetime, but if we refer to the fossil record, we can see what our ancestors were like, with a few gaps that are being filled as new discoveries are made.
May 20, 2009
No, men who wanted power wrote the bible. Ever heard of the dark ages? Religion is a great for controling people when taken to extremes. Especially desperate people who have no where left to turn. Also, they don't think they found a missing link, they know they've found one. I bet there's a nice little place for it with all the other transitionary fossils that have been found. please look at this, because I'm done here and really don't feel like arguing anymore, because i know no creationist here is going to change their mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nj587d5ies
May 20, 2009
The Bible was written by men, translated by men, subverted by men, abused by men, and used to justify violence by men. All thanks to God's inspiration.
May 20, 2009
The theory of evolution in just that a theory. It has never been proven as scientific fact. Evolutionists put just as much faith into their beliefs as Creationists.
May 20, 2009
We are still evolving. Its just imperceptibly slow, and by mastering much of our immediate environment we have reduced the pressure of natural selection.
May 20, 2009
I disagree, humans may have created gods but we did not create the one and perfect God that made all things.
May 20, 2009
What makes this god any different from the hundreds of other we have created. Why is the Christian god better than Ganesh, Zeus or Ra?
May 20, 2009
Actually, if you compare your art projects over time, I think you'll find your art skills HAVE evolved! Unless you're still doing the same crayon houses with you and your parents as stick figures in the front? (You've probably still gotten better at it, anyway!)
May 20, 2009
The thing that separates the one true God from the other gods is love.
May 20, 2009
In that case christian gods will be far back in the list
May 20, 2009
Ah, an evolved altruistic gesture designed to foster a strong maternal and paternal environment in which to past on successful genes. Nope, evolution has that covered.
May 20, 2009
Aren't all religions based on love in some way or another, they all say to love and worship god, many say to love each other… I mean some religions like Jainism are actually more centered on love than christianity is.
May 20, 2009
Actually, you have it a bit wrong. This is suspected to be a link between the higher primates (monkey, apes, humans), and their lower primate cousins (lemurs). The closest human relatives are still believed to be chimpanzees and bonobos. This new find is still a very important link in the evolutionary chain, but there will never be enough links to convince the closed-minded. Funny that we will give someone a death sentence based on DNA evidence, but refuse to believe the same evidence when it points to our shared ancestry with all living things on earth.
May 20, 2009
Well God is the only God that has showed His love to us and that was by sending His one and only son to die on the cross for us. God's love is perfect.
May 20, 2009
Isn't that a really circular argument, as your art project was created by you, so you've already assumed a designer? And considering god has infinite power, giving him infinite possibilities to create, why would he make things look the same… particularly an animal look the same as his beloved key creation, surely he'd want to make us something a bit more special. But no he thought he'd just do a half-assed job and reuse old bits, in fact he decided he’d make a load of mistakes as well which wouldn't even come in useful, and stick in a load of random DNA we don't really use anymore… I mean obviously all powerful beings get tired and start doing sloppy work… probably why he needed a rest on the seventh day… all powerful beings need rest too!!!
May 20, 2009
Hold on you can't just make statements like that which there’s no evidence for, yes I believe Jesus existed, but nothing proves he was the son of god, I mean your saying god loves us (a statement you cant prove which already assumes gods existence) because he sent Jesus (a statement you cant prove which assumes gods existence). You might as well just say god loves us because he does. And even if there was evidence the bible is true, if god really loved us don't you think Jesus would have written down some more useful information from his all knowing father… I dunno a quick mention of the holocaust, 9/11 etc or maybe just some useful information on antibiotics or other medical information… Why cure lepers, when he could have told people the cure for leprosy?
May 20, 2009
Pompous posturing. Not convincing
May 20, 2009
I am sure Jesus didn't want to be known as a prophet, and God allows things to happen for a reason. He has a plan and it is perfect just like Him.
May 20, 2009
Yeah, probably true, but that doesn't mean it is entirely invalid. And hey, its a better effort than a four word criticism. But thanks for not highlighting my spelling mistake. Now off you go with Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful and the boys…there's a good little dwarf.
May 20, 2009
to day, and to morrow, and the following: for it cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem.” Luke 13:33. And again you’re making assumptions that god does have a perfect plan, just like Muslims believe Allah has a perfect plan and he loves them, and all the other religious people who say bad things must happen for a reason. I know it’s comforting to think that, but the world really does seem to be a harsh place. I know your trying to justify your beliefs, but why feel the need to discard new evidence to protect your current beliefs, how can we ever advance if we keep things purely because they are comforting, despite not having any evidence. So far every statement you’ve made already assumes your right about god, none of it is substantial evidence for him loving us, or even existing.
May 20, 2009
Sorry about that first part, I accidentally deleted the first line which was meant to be Jesus did refer to himself as a profit on several occasions “Nevertheless I must walk
May 20, 2009
yes but that is not only why he came, Jesus came to save us from our sins not to tell us about every bad thing that would happen in the future
May 20, 2009
I get that (although again there’s no evidence its true), but surely if god does love us as much as you say, he would have wanted to help us find cures for these illnesses and help us improve our lives. Then again I’m still not sure why jesus needed to die for our sins, couldn't god have just forgiven us for the whole “original sin” thing anyway, i mean he is all powerful, and he preaches forgiveness… maybe I'm just being stupid but, why did he really need his son to die to save us? Also you’ve got to admit there’s no evidence for your claims, that jesus was gods son, that god is all loving, that he died for our sins, that god has a perfect plan. None of those are provable or supported claims.
May 20, 2009
The parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost son explain why God did not just forgive us.
THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. -Matthew 18:10-14
PARABLE OF THE LOST SON
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant contry and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole contry, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' But the father said to his servents, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servents and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive agian; he was lost and is found.'” -Luke 15:11-31
May 20, 2009
As far as the evidence goes, I live by faith. I don't need tangible hard-core evidence because I have faith, and that is all I need.
May 20, 2009
But surely, you believe because you have faith, i don't believe because I don’t have faith, as such faith is nothing more than another word for belief. In particular belief without evidence, so isn’t your argument, I believe in god because I believe in god? Personally I’d rather use reason, the same thing we us for all other decisions in this life.
May 20, 2009
Im not quite sure if i understand, (not great with metaphores) but is it about free will, that he would rather let us make mistakes and find our own way to him rather than forgive us all immediately? Is that why he cant just forgive us.
May 20, 2009
I am sorry that I can't be more clear. My faith is complex and sometimes hard to explain. All that I know is that I was once lost but now I'm found and my faith continues to grow each and every day and at first my faith may seem like it is nothing but crazy talk but it is not. I base my life off of my faith, and I just wish that you could see just how beautiful Christianity is.
May 20, 2009
pretty much, because wouldn't you rather know that someone had the chance to do other things and believe differently yet they still chose to be with you?
May 21, 2009
Perhaps I can help. God endowed spirit creatures (angels) and humans with free will and created them all perfect. Of course, the bible teaches that there was a rebellion involving the first humans and an angel who was jealous of God (later to be called Satan). Satan smeared God's good name & reputation by insinuating He was withholding good from humans & was a liar. While God had the power to kill all 3 rebels involved, God's goodness & right to rule were involved, and millions of angels were observing the whole incident. God has allowed sufficient time to let humans use their free will to decide which side to take. Man has largely turned his back on God. Such independence hasn't turned out well, as man has been determined to dominate his fellow man, to his detriment. That's not to say God's been sitting on his hands doing nothing ever since. Immediately after the rebellion the first prophecy was uttered in Gen 3:15 showing that there would be a seed to crush Satan with the death blow. After the rebellion God could no longer deal with imperfect man directly. He allowed Satan to continue for a time (though the Bible prophecies his abyssal and destruction later) and allowed Adam and Eve to continue the human race. As one goes through the bible, more info is given about God's plan for restoration of perfection–tied to the messianic kingdom–and the messiah himself. All of these things can be proven in the scriptures, but I gather you don't believe the bible. And to be sure, one shouldn't believe something without evidence. Of course, how much evidence do you have that any given person was crowned king in 600 A.D.? The history textbooks says so, and people believe it. The bible says so, and people say it's unprovable. However, there are some lines of evidence to cause people to trust the bible: its internal harmony, fulfilled bible prophecy, its scientific accuracy (when it touches on scientific things, like how the earth is a sphere, how it hangs on nothing, the Israelites meticulous cleanliness despite no one knowing about germs), and the fact that a God of love would make his word available to all peoples. And the bible is available, in whole or in part, to almost every language group on the face of the earth.
Don't blame what nominal christians have done of Jesus. He came primarily to bear witness to the truth about his father & to give his life as a ransom for many. The Israelites, or Jews, up to that point already understanding that blood represented life, and life was sacred, so shedding the blood of a sacrificial animal could bring about atonement for sins, to a point. The perfect man Adam's sin sold all of us into imperfection, but the sacrificial death of Jesus is able to eventually reverse that for all believing mankind. Jesus didn't come to earth to meddle in politics, and then wasn't the time to change the world. He'll do that later. He healed people to build faith in people that he was the messiah, and also so they'd feel better and be more receptive to listening to his teachings. Even now, the bible shows we can get forgiveness of our sins on the basis of JC's sacrifice (provided we repent and turn around), but total forgiveness comes later. Being totally pardoned of our sinful imperfection means becoming perfect and having the prospect of living forever.
May 23, 2009
can't take no more of these retarded jesus freaks, “he has a plan and it is perfect just like him” blah blah blah its all bullshit….. we came to be on this earth completely by chance and luck there is no all knowing all seeing douche bag watching over us now please grow a brain look into the history of this earth solar system galaxy and universe and maybe you will realize it some day you can only hope
May 25, 2009
Thank You Justin – well said.