Tag Archive

Final(?) Word on Ida

Published on March 21, 2010 By sirrahc

She’s back in the news, but just barely. That 47 million-years-old skeleton of what may be the earliest-known primate, Darwinius masillae (aka “Ida”), is getting some more attention — at least, in scientific circles. As you may recall (go here, then come back), there was a lot of hype last year when Ida was revealed […]

Those Dang Tetrapod Tracks (Part 2)

Published on January 19, 2010 By sirrahc

The 2004 discovery (reported in 2006) of a well-preserved fossil creature dubbed Tiktaalik was hailed as the “missing link” that finally solidified the “fish to tetrapod” transition — a “snapshot” of “a fossil fish in the act of adapting toward a life on land”. Dated to 375-383 Mya, Tiktaalik was concluded to be an intermediary […]

Those Dang Tetrapod Tracks (Part 1)

Published on January 17, 2010 By sirrahc

Once again, the evidence flies in the face of evolutionary (i.e., neo-Darwinian) theory. Or, does it? A new discovery in Poland (see here or here) places the oldest tetrapod several million years earlier than the supposed transitional forms that biologists have been touting as proof of fish evolving into land animals. Naturally, this has caused […]

Much Ado about Ida: The Missing Link that Wasn’t

Published on November 1, 2009 By sirrahc

Do you remember the introduction to the world of “Ida” this past May? The media frenzy and hype around this small, 47 million-year-old primate went far beyond the usual, even when it comes to the intriguing & controversial issue of human evolution. In addition to publication of the scientific paper itself in PLoS ONE, within […]