Author Topic: Transitional Fossil (Read 42411 times)

PaperLuigi · « **on:** May 19, 2009, 05:36:15 PM »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/may/19/ida-fossil-missing-link

"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 term "missing link" is a misnomer (the correct term is "transitional fossil"), but it's still pretty fascinating. Any comments?

BP · « **Reply #1 on:** May 19, 2009, 06:43:28 PM »

I always thought it was called the "missing link" because it's the missing part of the chain of species consisting of monkeys, more monkeys, neanderthals and us.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #2 on:** May 19, 2009, 06:47:57 PM »

The term "missing link" in paleoanthropology is a misnomer. The idea refers to a popular belief that there is just one piece of the puzzle, which simply isn't the case. The human family tree contains many different species.

Please, let's discuss the fossil and it's importance to human evolution, not whether or not we should be calling it the missing link.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #3 on:** May 19, 2009, 07:03:23 PM »

What's to discuss? If it is a transitional dead man-ape, well alright then, score one for the not-Christians. If it isn't, then it's nothing that hasn't already been done by scientists time after time: Misidentifying crap that's stuck in a rock.

Yeah, I know, that was pretty cynical, but I guess it's because I could've sworn we had a found an, uh... screw it--I could've sworn we'd found a missing link before.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #4 on:** May 19, 2009, 07:13:53 PM »

Well...nevermind then.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #5 on:** May 19, 2009, 07:18:14 PM »

Okay... it's just that, well... I don't think there's a whole lot of discussion to be made, but that doesn't mean someone else doesn't have something to say. Sorry.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #6 on:** May 19, 2009, 07:20:50 PM »

I guess topics like this aren't interesting until someone comes in and complains about the validity of the discovery, huh...

That, and it's not like the majority of the members here have a vast understanding of biology/evolution. :/

Chupperson Weird · « **Reply #7 on:** May 19, 2009, 08:27:38 PM »

Is it bad that I'm thinking of the Piltdown Man right now? This looks cool anyway.

Weegee · « **Reply #8 on:** May 19, 2009, 09:22:39 PM »

Quote from: ShadowBrain on May 19, 2009, 07:03:23 PM

What's to discuss? If it is a transitional dead man-ape, well alright then, score one for the not-Christians.

Christians now can't even consider the possibility of theistic evolution? Huh.

ShadowBrain · « **Reply #9 on:** May 19, 2009, 09:27:24 PM »

Well, don't discoveries like this contradict the Bible?

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #10 on:** May 19, 2009, 09:36:50 PM »

It depends on how you interpret the Bible. Some Christians take the Bible figuratively in certain areas.

In fact, a good friend of mine believes the creation myth in Genesis is actually describing evolution. I'm a deist though, so I can't honestly say I agree with him.

EDIT: About a month ago I said I was an agnostic...that's not really true. Like I said above, I'm more of a deist than an agnostic. I sympathize more with agnostics and atheists however, simply because a lot of evangelicals/fundamentalists use their religion to trample on the rights of others.

Weegee · « **Reply #11 on:** May 19, 2009, 09:49:23 PM »

By definition, a Christian is one who accepts Jesus Christ as the son of the eternal God and the atoner of our sins. Everything else is comparatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I sometimes see questions like the origin of Man to be little more than things He deliberately left unanswered to let us ponder over the next quintillion years or so.

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #12 on:** May 19, 2009, 09:54:51 PM »

I guess that still makes me a Christian then because I haven't denounced that yet.

But seriously, my reason and logic dictates that I cannot believe in a lot of the things in the Bible...like God striking down a guy for masturbating, a talking serpent, etc.

Why oh why did God call on us to believe in such ridiculous things? This is my main problem with Christianity and faith. They request that we suspend our reason. If I was a soldier and I did that on a battlefield, I'd get killed.

Turtlekid1 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 20, 2009, 06:49:35 AM »

I get really annoyed at people who:

-Think that Christianity consists of mindless drones and can't have any logic.
-Believe they are entitled to something that excuses them from submission to God.
-Accuse the Bible of being ridiculous when they believe that we gradually developed from a completely different species.

As for the fossil, things like this have been discovered before and then later proved to be, as ShadowBrain put it,

Quote from: ShadowBrain on May 19, 2009, 07:03:23 PM

Misidentifying crap that's stuck in a rock.

I wouldn't put too much stock into it, even if I were an evolutionist.

The Chef · « **Reply #14 on:** May 20, 2009, 02:13:45 PM »

Quote

I get really annoyed at people who think that Christianity consists of mindless drones and can't have any logic.

That's understandable....

Quote

I get really annoyed at people who believe they are entitled to something that excuses them from submission to God.

....nevermind.