Fossil skull fuels debate over human origin

CNN ^ | March 21, 2002 Posted: 10:28 AM EST (1528 GMT)

[oldcats]

The trapture?
Freudian slip?
Oldcats

[oldcats]

Would that make him "hyphen-active"?
Perhaps he needs some de-hypenated coffee
Sorry, but they just keep spilling out!!
Oldcats

[medved]

Most anthropologists believe that Homo erectus -- the species that is said to bear the first recognizable human characteristics -- emerged nearly 2 million years ago in Africa and spread across several continents to serve as an ancestor to modern man, or Homo sapiens.

That's really calling anthropologists some stupid suckers. Recent DNA studies have determined that the neanderthal cannot be an ancestor of modern man because the genetic divide is simply too great and erectus is quite obviously more distant from modern man than the neanderthal was, and I mean a LOT more distant. That's like claiming that man can't be descended from apes, therefore he must be descended directly from fish.

[RoughDobermann]

Interesting. Where did they get the DNA?

[oldcats]

Hey med...was wondering when you were gonna join in.
Oldcats

[Diverdogz]

The water was supposed to cover Mt. Everest, at 29,000 ft.
IF it rained 29,000 ft of water in 40 days.....

That is 725 ft per day
Which is 30.2 ft/Hour......
or 362.5 inches per hour. .....What a STORM!

[Lurking Libertarian]

Recent DNA studies have determined that the neanderthal cannot be an ancestor of modern man because the genetic divide is simply too great

Do you have a link or citation to any such "recent DNA study"?

[oldcats]

Would DNA that old be subject to degradation? So therefor would not give accurate/verifiable results.
Nice try though
Oldcats

[JediGirl]

Don't worry about jedigirl---she has her training strings on---big net--lotta applause!

Indeed. I would think more that you are but a mere puppet of the fundamentalists who don't bother reading outside of the creationist literature their churches pass out.

And although your posting style is quite, erm, unique, i don't think i'm the only one who would appreciate if you'd toss in a bit of coherence occasionally.

[general_re]

My turn for a t.o FAQ on DNA analysis of Neanderthals ;)

[Seeking the truth]

You know, if you look closely in the upper left quardrant on the skull line, you can clearly see the remnants of feathers. This just may be that transitional creature between bird, monkey, dinosaur and erect man.

Didn't National Geographic and a bunch a scientists prove something like that a while back?

Or was that the Piltdown Man?

Its getting real difficult to keep track of all these "proofs" and the inevitable "retractions" a bit later!

[oldcats]

Its getting real difficult to keep track of all these "proofs" and the inevitable "retractions" a bit later!
Sorry that it is so confusing to you, but there are parts of science that are not static. Does it confuse you that once it was thought the the earth was flat, but now they claim it is a sphere? Or that the stars are mearly holes in the ether..no wait they are the eyes of angels..no wait...
The use of Piltdown Man as an argument is so outdtated. Is the rest of your "information" of the same caliber?
Oldcats

[f.Christian]

Creationists--fundamentalists are a little too tame for me...

I fancy myself the gunther-goebbels asst. of the greatest show on the universe...

an understudy in my dreams!

Break a leg!

[RoughDobermann]

Conclusions

The studies of Neandertal mtDNA do not show that Neandertals did not or could not interbreed with modern humans. However, the lack of diversity in Neandertal mtDNA sequences, combined with the large differences between Neandertal and modern human mtDNA, strongly suggest that Neandertals and modern humans developed separately, and did not form part of a single large interbreeding population. The Neandertal mtDNA studies will strengthen the arguments of those scientists who claim that Neandertals should be considered a separate species which did not significantly contribute to the modern gene pool.

They come to this conclusion after looking at the mtDNA of THREE Neandertals?

[JediGirl]

Will you ever speak in English?

[VadeRetro]

Where is the Pan family? Hiding?

There is only Peter and he has no parents, only peanut butter. Proof of creation?

[f.Christian]

I will speak in art--architecture...you inspire--instigate me!

[medved]

Interesting. Where did they get the DNA?

In the first instance from the roots of teeth from some of the original Neander Valley specimens and more recently from the marrow of rib bones from specimens in the middle East. Both studies showed the same thing. One researcher described neanderthal DNA as "about halfway between ours and that of a chimpanzee". That eliminated the neanderthal as a plausible ancestor for modern man, at least via anything remotely resembling gradual change or evolution.

[oldcats]

Will you ever speak in English?
You sure ask for a lot!!
BTW I used to play French horn in H.S. too.
Oldcats

[medved]

One example..

Other links to the same stories are fairly easy to find.