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New 2Mya African hominin fossils - Homo habilis?

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  • 09-09-2011 12:52pm
    #1
    darjeeling
    Registered Users Posts: 962 ✭✭✭


    Don't look now, it's Ida mark 2! The UK Telegraph on Saturday published an exclusive story about new Homo habilis-like fossils from South Africa (link to article).
    MISSING LINK BETWEEN MAN AND APES FOUND

    [...]

    The new species of hominid, the evolutionary branch of primates that includes humans, is to be revealed when the two-million-year-old skeleton of a child is unveiled this week.

    Scientists believe the almost-complete fossilised skeleton belonged to a previously-unknown type of early human ancestor that may have been a intermediate stage as ape-men evolved into the first species of advanced humans, Homo habilis.

    [...]

    Palaeontologists and human evolutionary experts behind the discovery have remained silent about the exact details of what they have uncovered, but the scientific community is already abuzz with anticipation of the announcement of the find when it is made on Thursday.

    [...]

    The find is deemed to be so significant that Jacob Zuma, the South African president, has visited the university to view the fossils and a major media campaign with television documentaries is planned.

    Normally the big science journals have an embargo on mainstream news articles appearing before the actual science papers are published. That would seem to have been breached by the Telegraph's scoop, letting speculation run ahead of the facts. Throw in a flamboyant politician and a lavish media campaign, and it looks as though science could take a back seat over the coming days and weeks. As with Ida, it could be months before we have an idea of the real significance.
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