
Five lines of evidence are given for believing that Australopithecus ramidus is the hypothetical 'missing link'-the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. The facts themselves do not warrant the certainty found in the popular press. Time magazine writes: 'Bones from the Ethiopian desert prove that human ancestors walked the Earth 4.4 million years ago' Newsweek states: 'Ramidus confirms once and for all that the common ancestor lived just a little more than 4.4 million years ago.' Lines of Evidence for Australopithechus Ramidus

Colin Groves (Australian National University) said in The Canberra Times: “…the missing link is no longer missing”. One senses a note of caution in the heading of the Nature article: 'The antiquity and primitive morphology of Australopithecus ramidus suggests that it represents a long-sought potential root species for the Hominidae' The popular press has not reflected that caution. Some have suggested that fossil chimpanzees and other primates actually have been found but they were interpreted as human ancestors rather than as fossil primates.Ī contrast is seen between the report of Australopithecus ramidus in Nature and the reports of this discovery In the popular media. It is significant that, according to evolutionists, no fossils of chimpanzee have ever been found. )Įvolutionists have been unstinting in their praise of the discovery of Australopithecus ramidus However, there is reason, to challenge their claims and to suggest that the fossils actually represent a form of pygmy chimpanzee. Details of this discovery have yet to be published. (In late December 1994 a mandible and partial postcranial skeleton were found of what is thought to be the same type of individual. These 17 fragments were found in association with other primate and vertebrate fossils, Radioisotopic dating, geochemical analysis, and biochronological considerations are said to suggest a date of 4.4 million years ago. The fossil discovery is made up of associated and isolated adult teeth, a child's mandible fragment, two partial cranial bases, and seven fragments from a left arm. White (University of California, Berkeley), Gem Suwa (University of Tokyo), and Berhane Asfaw (Ethiopian Ministry of Culture), Known first as Australopithecus ramidus and later changed to Ardipithecus ramidus, these fossils were found in sedimentary Pliocene deposits at Aramis, Middle Awash, northern Ethiopia between December 1992 and December 1993. What is claimed to be one of the most sensational fossil discoveries involving human origins was made by Tim D.

Thus, the recent news that the hominid 'missing link' has been discovered was greeted with great exuberance by the evolutionist community. This period is also devoid of any relevant fossil material, except for a few fossil scraps too fragmentary for diagnosis. This second period is equally critical for evolutionary theory because it is the time when the ancestors of the australopithecine and human group were allegedly diverging from the ancestors of the African apes, especially the chimpanzees. The second gap, known as the hominid gap, extends from 14 to 4.5 million years ago. Yet, with one possible exception, this time-frame is devoid of hominoid fossil evidence to document this alleged divergence. This period is important because it is during this period that evolutionists believe that the ancestors of apes and humans were splitting off from the tine leading to the monkeys. The first gap, known as the hominoid gap, goes from 32 to 22 million years ago on the evolutionary time-scale. Send us feedback.In tracing the alleged evolution of humans from primate ancestors, palaeoanthropologists have been frustrated by the existence of two extensive gaps In the fossil record. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'missing link.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.

2022 The Masters remains the only missing link on his majors resume. 2014 The Masters remains the only missing link on his majors resume. 2022 Improving strength with multi-joint strength movements is a missing link in training for runners.Įric Bach, Outside Online, 19 Mar. 2022 Yet, this robust and flexible financial instrument may just be the missing link to your financial portfolio.Ĭarson Porter, Forbes, 9 June 2022 The Masters remains the only missing link on his majors resume. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 6 July 2022 Astronomers might have found a missing link in black hole evolution.Įlizabeth Howell, Forbes, 25 Apr. Recent Examples on the Web This lack of mindfulness about storage has created the missing link and could expose many companies to cyberattacks.Įric Herzog, Forbes, 15 July 2022 To add a dash of chicness to your capsule wardrobe, these Lattelier chain loafers are the missing link.
