Migrants caught in border standoff struggle to survive October The fossils of Australopithecus sediba have fueled scientific debate since they were found at the Malapa Fossil Site in South Africa 10 years ago. And now researchers have established that they are closely linked to the Homo genus, representing a bridging species between early humans and their predecessors, proving that early humans were still swinging from trees 2 million years ago.
The 'Underground Astronauts' in search of new human species. The Malapa site, South Africa's "Cradle of Humankind," was famously discovered by accident by nine-year-old Matthew Berger as he chased after his dog. That stroke of luck eventually led to this week's finding, detailed in the journal "Paleoanthropology. Read More. The findings help fill a gap in humankind's history, sliding in between the famous 3-million-year-old skeleton of "Lucy" and the "handy man" Homo habilis, which was found to be using tools between 1.
They show that early humans of the period "spent significant time climbing in trees, perhaps for foraging and protection from predators," according to the study in the journal "Paleoanthropology. In reality, the human story stretches back millions of years, leaving us the last species standing—literally. We habitually walk in a way that no other animal does with our backs totally upright and our legs beneath us.
How that happened has been a major research focus as paleontologists and anthropologists have looked to our past. This change occurred relatively early on, between the time our ancestors split from chimpanzee ancestors over 6 million years ago and about 3.
But the story of humanity goes beyond the legs and spine. We've been able to piece together many of these changes thanks to transitional fossils.
Without a modified DeLorean or TARDIS, though, we are left with the imperfect, incomplete, and nonetheless illuminating fossil record: an epic story of life in transition. Riley Black is a freelance science writer specializing in evolution, paleontology and natural history who blogs regularly for Scientific American. Ask Smithsonian A Smithsonian magazine special report. Homo erectus, Homo floresiensis , Homo habilis , Homo heidelbergensis , Homo neanderthalensis …okay, I am going to stop now.
But I could go on. In the end, there is more evidence indicating that you should accept evolution than there is evidence for some well-know dinosaurs. We have more fossil evidence supporting the idea that humans evolved from non-humans than we have fossil evidence that shows that Tyrannosaurus rex really existed. Every fossil that we have has been shown to be a transitional fossil. This means that the fossils have traits in common with other fossils, some more primitive and some more advanced, as the case may be.
Does that mean that we have a complete fossil record clearly showing the transitional forms of every single species? Of course not. But the very notion is kind of absurd. First, given the billions of years that the Earth has existed, and the billions of generations that have lived on Earth, that is impossible.
Moreover, literally, every fossil is a transitional fossil. If you want a complete record, you are effectively asking for a fossil from every organism that ever lived. Second, why would you need a complete record? One does not need billions and billions of transitional forms and predecessors to see that the theory of evolution is sound. The thousands that we currently have should suffice, and they do.
The observations that we see happening today, right now, should be enough. And they are. That is why evolution is accepted by the scientific community. All the evidence that we have matches what we observe today, and the theory perfectly coincides with the every bit of evidence that we have from the fossil record.
Care about supporting clean energy adoption? The aftermath of finding a missing link is more subtle than might be supposed.
The paleontological record will always be sparse compared to the total number of creatures that ever lived, because fossilization is a very rare event. Millions of animals are born and die every day, but only a few of their bodies find habitats suitable for fossilization and preservation.
Of those few creatures that die in the right place at the right time, many are preserved in places so thinly inhabited by human beings that no one who could recognize the fossil for what it is will ever see it. Not only does an organism have to be fossilized, but it must be found and recognized by a trained eye to add to the sum of scientific knowledge.
Although the discovery of a missing link is cause for celebration, it is also cause for more and deeper studies. Ironically, even as one link is found, two new missing links are "created"—one the immediate ancestor and one the immediate descendent of the newly found creature. But slowly, as discoveries proceed, paleontologists are able to compile an ever-clearer record of the evolution of life on Earth.
The lack of vegetation of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic produces a barren-looking landscape where fossils are relatively easy to see.
This is the valley that yielded the Tiktaalik specimens. The discovery of Tiktaalik will encourage paleontologists to continue their intrepid searches in far-flung areas. With luck, its existence may spark others to rethink their position, too.
Intelligent design advocates and creationists claim that too many links are missing for evolution to be credible; they see only the abrupt appearance of new forms created by an Intelligent Designer. Stephen Meyer, director of the Center for Science and Culture of the Discovery Institute, asserts that "the transitional life forms that ostensibly occupy the nodes of Darwin's branching tree of life are unobservable The highly observable Tiktaalik is exactly the sort of transitional form that Meyer maintains does not exist.
The fossils are real and solid evidence that you can hold in your hand. If you are willing to take the time to study their anatomy, you can see for yourself the evolutionary adaptations that were made over time.
This ancient fish mutely tells a story of mosaic changes, of piecemeal adaptation to a new ecological niche. It joins myriad other "found links" that document transitions from one type of creature to another or from one habitat to another.
Together these found links form a stony edifice in support of evolutionary theory. Skip to main content. Login Register. Page DOI: Kalliopi Monoyios.
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