Scientists have discovered an exquisitely preserved ancient primate fossil that they believe forms a crucial “missing link” between our own evolutionary branch of life and the rest of the animal kingdom.
The 47m-year-old primate – named Ida – has been hailed as the fossil equivalent of a “Rosetta Stone” for understanding the critical early stages of primate evolution.
The top-level international research team, who have studied her in secret for the past two years, believe she is the most complete and best preserved primate fossil ever uncovered. The skeleton is 95% complete and thanks to the unique location where she died, it is possible to see individual hairs covering her body and even the make-up of her final meal – a last vegetarian snack.
via Fossil Ida: extraordinary find is ‘missing link’ human evolution | Science | guardian.co.uk.
25 May, 2009 at 4:18 am
I would have thought it was a reptile by looking at the skeleton. That’s a verrrry long tail.
3 June, 2009 at 5:06 am
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13 June, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Maybe religion will finally be scrapped.
11 July, 2009 at 11:44 pm
It looks somewhat like the Montauk Monster!
19 July, 2009 at 2:51 am
So we’re the descendants of the dinosaurs now, is that it?