Oldest Primate Skeleton Discovered

[Still Waters]

An international team of paleontologists that includes Northern Illinois University anthropologist Dan Gebo is announcing the discovery of a nearly complete, articulated skeleton of a new tiny, tree-dwelling primate dating back 55 million years.

The Eocene Epoch fossil was recovered from Hubei Province in central China.

"This is the oldest primate skeleton of this quality and completeness ever discovered and one of the most primitive primate fossils ever documented," Gebo said. "The origin of primates sets the first milestone for all primate lineages, including that of humanity.

http://www.scienceda...t Science News)

[freetoroam]

great find, add him to the front of my chart:

[Tutankhaten-pasheri]

Well, and I thought we were descended from raccoons, or raccoons were an evolutionary advance on us, or is that felines. A strange world...

[docyabut2]

I guess its all in the foot:)

http://www.livescience.com/5419-ancient-human-ancestor-ida-discovered.html

[coolguy]

This is a great find,I wish they had some pictures

[psyche101]

I guess its all in the foot:)

http://www.livescien...discovered.html

Thats a different fossil.

This is an artist's conception of what the newly discovered primate, Archicebus achilles, might have looked like. (Credit: Mat Severson, Northern Illinois University)

The fossil, called Darwinius masillae and said to be a female, provides the most complete understanding of the paleobiology of any primate so far discovered from the Eocene Epoch, Hurum said. An analysis of the fossil mammal is detailed today in the journal PLoS ONE.

[Rolci]

So 64 million years ago the dinosaurs died out giving way to the rodents about to evolve, which managed to mutate into a monkey in less that 10 million years on a dust-covered post-apocalyptic planet Earth. And the following 55 million years were spent just perfecting that upright walking. Sounds plausible.

[Imaginarynumber1]

So 64 million years ago the dinosaurs died out giving way to the rodents about to evolve, which managed to mutate into a monkey in less that 10 million years on a dust-covered post-apocalyptic planet Earth. And the following 55 million years were spent just perfecting that upright walking. Sounds plausible.

Mammals have been around for at least 195 million years. Please study the subject if you are going to comment on it.

[marcos anthony toledo]

I hope the scientist don't windup with egg on their face like the last time they made such a claim get it right this time.

[paperdyer]

OK, what's more plasible, all humans came from Africa and they migrated thousands of miles to "mutate"/evelove into our current multi-physical difference forms, or there were many varieties of pre-humans that evolved according to their surroundings? Of course there's always the God theory and seven days.

Edited June 6, 2013 by paperdyer

[HuntrSThompsun]

K, now.. god is in my mind here and I'm just doin a hypothetical devils advocate, where and when did the consiousness of us to believe in an after death god and begin to follow a religion as a whole and what made it .. if I have an open mind as I'm taught in life, how do ppl work the word of god in it? Please answer me honestly

[docyabut2]

Thats a different fossil.

This is an artist's conception of what the newly discovered primate, Archicebus achilles, might have looked like. (Credit: Mat Severson, Northern Illinois University)

The fossil, called Darwinius masillae and said to be a female, provides the most complete understanding of the paleobiology of any primate so far discovered from the Eocene Epoch, Hurum said. An analysis of the fossil mammal is detailed today in the journal PLoS ONE.

A foot bone called the talus bone links Ida directly to humans. The species name, Achilles, is an allusion to its interesting heel anatomy and to the mythological Greek warrior, for whom the Achilles tendon (connecting the heel bone to the calf muscle) is named