The Primate Fossil Ida - Science Review

Paleontologist Tim White and David Micklos discuss Ida (Darwinius masillae), the 47 million year-old primate fossil. Ida, who most closely resembles the modern lemur, may be important to understanding evolution and human origins. However, media publicity by Jorn Hurum and Philip Gingerich, which touted Ida as a missing link, may have gone too far in promoting Ida as an early human ancestor.

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[bodyrocks1on1]

The only problem was a few irresponsible journalists who printed misleading information to stir up controversy and make a buck! The real official scientific reports were not inaccurate. To find out more about Ida, watch AronRa's videos about it! Ida know & Ida done better!

[AA32m7io1]

"Primate fossil 'NOT an ancestor'" (BBC, October, 21 2009)

"Dr Erik Seiffert says that Ida belonged to a group more closely linked to lemurs than to monkeys, apes or us... [Dr Seiffert continues] "They are more closely related to lemurs and lorises than they are to tarsirs or monkeys, apes and humans. This study would effectively REMOVE Ida from our ancestry."

Also see: "Convergent evolution of anthropoid-like adaptations in Eocene adapiform primates" (Nature)

[bheadh]

This show proves that through greed ("book deals" etc) science will lie at times to promote it's agenda. Let us not ever forget the "piltdown man"... that lie lasted over 40 years.

[selearemus]

@AA32m7io1 watch david attenborough the missing link

[sfspop]

Looks like a well-preserved, glorified squirrel monkey fossil to me.

[jojojosmart]

Show me the money, says the man who found this fossil.

[amaxamon]

The reason for the hoopla was that Ida *wasn't* revealed in the scientific community, which is the problem. Tim White speaks some real common sense here.