Posted on 02/28/2008 4:21:27 AM PST by Renfield
Undated handout photo shows the skull of Toumaï, a seven-million-year-old fossil believed to be the remains of the earliest human ever found, found in 2001. New fossil remains as well as the 3D reconstruction of the skull confirm that the creature is the oldest species of the human branch, a common ancester of the chimpanzee and of homo sapiens. (AFP/File/MFPT)
Ping
Not human. Proto-human, maybe. But no more human than the small rodents scurrying between the legs of dinosaurs. To me, “human” means the ability to comprehend “I am.” I doubt this poor creature was capable of that.
Early Democrat.
I didn't think radioisotope decay rates worked much beyond about 60,000 years. How does one infer 7 million from this kind of data? Just curious.
Helen Thomas notes
“Toumai’s supporters used 3D computer reconstructions to show that the structure of the cranium had clear differences from those of gorillas and chimps and indicates that Toumai was able to walk upright on two feet”
Yeah, right. They can tell all that from the structure of the brain.
Let’s see the rest of the skeleton and then maybe it can be determined whether it walked upright or not.
Ping
I had an amazing conversation with a friend yesterday. He’s highly educated with two advanced degrees but thought that dinosaurs and humans were both on the earth at the same time and nteracted. At first I thought he was pulling my leg but nope. Did I mention he’s a total left wing lib who thinks we should drop all sanctions against Cuba so we can import their sugar cane to make ethanol to stop global warming.
Was this before Adam and Eve?
Are they trying to prove the Bible wrong?
IB4 the Helen Thomas pic.
He wasn’t trying to prove anything and the Bible didn’t even come up. He was just ignorant. I do love the man but I know he’ll never read this.
“Still unclear, though, is the exact line of genealogy from these small, rather ape-like creatures to the rise of the powerfully-brained Homo sapiens.”
In other words this is a small ape which had a small brain.
But it makes for good headlines doesn’t it?
I know, just wanted to insert that. :-)
“Early Democrat.”
We must agree to differ on whether it’s Early Democrat or Future Democrat. We can only “hope”.
I dunno. If you look at a bonobo's eyes it sure looks like somebody's home. This guy might have been pretty close to a bonobo.
Lets see the rest of the skeleton and then maybe it can be determined whether it walked upright or not.
Where the skull attaches to the spine is a pretty good indicator of bipedalism.
They just can, okay? It's scientific and stuff, just have a little faith. ;)
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