A new transitional hominin species

[lucaspa]

Fossils Raise Questions about Human Ancestry: Scientific American
Australopithecus sediba. There are 220 bones from 5 individuals. It is mixture of traits of A. afarensis and H. erectus. This is how you know it is transitional:

"The speciess' small brain and limb proportions matched those seen in the genus Australopithecus, whose most famous representative is the 3-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis skeleton known as Lucy. Other palaeoanthropologists argue that A. sediba should have been placed in the genus Homo because of its modern features, including its hand and pelvis."

"That is exactly what you'd expect when you find a very transitional form: 50% of the field saying they're right, it's an Australopithecine, the other half saying, put this in the genus Homo," said Berger during a conference call announcing the new A. sediba papers."​

 

[sandwiches]

Fossils Raise Questions about Human Ancestry: Scientific American
Australopithecus sediba. There are 220 bones from 5 individuals. It is mixture of traits of A. afarensis and H. erectus. This is how you know it is transitional:

"The speciess' small brain and limb proportions matched those seen in the genus Australopithecus, whose most famous representative is the 3-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis skeleton known as Lucy. Other palaeoanthropologists argue that A. sediba should have been placed in the genus Homo because of its modern features, including its hand and pelvis."

"That is exactly what you'd expect when you find a very transitional form: 50% of the field saying they're right, it's an Australopithecine, the other half saying, put this in the genus Homo," said Berger during a conference call announcing the new A. sediba papers."​

Reminds me of the whole "reptile-like mammal" or "mammal-like reptile" debate.

 

[lucaspa]

Reminds me of the whole "reptile-like mammal" or "mammal-like reptile" debate.

It's what happens whenever you get a transitional. Whether it's between classes like reptiles to mammals, genera like in this example, or between species.

" In an evolutionary continuum, change occurs more or less gradually through time. At the early and late ends of such change, everyone agrees that different names are justified, but when one form slowly transforms into another without break, the point where the change of name is to be applied is a completely arbitrary matter imposed by the namers for their convenience only - it is not something compelled by the data." C. Loring Bruce, "Humans in time and space." In Scientists Confront Creationism, edited by LR Godfrey, 1983, pp. 254-255.

BTW, Bruce made this comment in the context of 2 species, A. afarensis and A. africanus. Bruce thought that the individuals represented a transitional series from one species to another:

"This primitive configuration of pongid and hominid traits has led the discoverers and describers of these early Australopithecines to assign them to a new species. If the first Australopithecines to be discovered is properly Australopithecus africanus, the early ones, they suggest, should be Australopithecus afarensis. Not all scholars agree. I have to confess that, although I have had the opportunity to handle both the Ethiopian and the South African material with which it is being compared, and although I agree with virtually all of what its describers say in regard to its tendency to be more primitive in a series of traits, I am not convinced that the differences are pronounced enough to warrant separate specific recognition. "

 

[Doveaman]

Reminds me of the whole "reptile-like mammal" or "mammal-like reptile" debate.

Reminds me of this transitional fossil:

 

[sandwiches]

Reminds me of this transitional fossil:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think humans evolved from horses nor horses from humans.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think humans evolved from horses nor horses from humans.

...but darn that's a great picture

 

[lucaspa]

Reminds me of this transitional fossil:

That is a great Photoshopped picture. But it is fake., as you know quite well. There is no reason, Doveaman, why real fossils should remind you of this fake. Unless, of course, you are desperately seeking any way possible to deny God.

 

[Jazer]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think humans evolved from horses nor horses from humans.

Human and horses share a common ancestor because they both have a backbone. We also share a common ancestor with spinless life forms, but it is much more distant. You know from the black sheep side of the family tree.

 

[Nathan Poe]

That is a great Photoshopped picture. But it is fake., as you know quite well. There is no reason, Doveaman, why real fossils should remind you of this fake. Unless, of course, you are desperately seeking any way possible to deny God.

Have you ever met a creationist who wasn't -- either accidentally or deliberately?

 

[sandwiches]

That is a great Photoshopped picture. But it is fake., as you know quite well. There is no reason, Doveaman, why real fossils should remind you of this fake. Unless, of course, you are desperately seeking any way possible to deny God.

Apparently it was made by a skeletons and bones company called Skulls Unlimited just for fun.

 

[sandwiches]

Human and horses share a common ancestor because they both have a backbone. We also share a common ancestor with spinless life forms, but it is much more distant. You know from the black sheep side of the family tree.

I understand that we share a common ancestor but what the picture suggests is nonsense; humans have no direct lineage with horses in the way depicted by the photo.

 

[Delphiki]

Reminds me of this transitional fossil:

And if that were real (which it's not) it would actually disprove evolution. Now go find us some centaur fossils and we'll start reconsidering the validity of evolution. Good luck!

 

[Split Rock]

And if that were real (which it's not) it would actually disprove evolution. Now go find us some centaur fossils and we'll start reconsidering the validity of evolution. Good luck!

I agree. But, any chimera would do: A pegasus. A unicorn. A hydra. A manticore. A satyr. Just one....

 

[pgp_protector]

I agree. But, any chimera would do: A pegasus. A unicorn. A hydra. A manticore. A satyr. Just one....

a baby hydra