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 ???
