'ardi,' Oldest Human Ancestor, Unveiled

The world's oldest and most complete skeleton of a potential human ancestor -- named "Ardi," short for Ardipithecus ramidus -- has been unveiled by an international team of 47 researchers.

Their unprecedented, 17-year investigation of Ardi is detailed in a special issue of the journal Science.

"Discovering Ardi," a world premiere exclusive, airs Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9 PM (ET/PT), only on the Discovery Channel.

The 4.4 million-year-old hominid opens up a new chapter on human evolution because "it is as close as we have ever come to finding the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans," project co-director Tim White told Discovery News.

"This is not an ordinary fossil," added White, a paleontologist in the University of California at Berkeley's Human Evolution Research Center. "It's not a chimp. It's not a human."

Instead, he said, "It shows us what we used to be."

looks like a regular ape imo.

Exactly what the Theory of Evolutions predicts would be there.  Another blow to the creationists liars for Jesus!

On what scientific basis do you question this evidence, erhm?  Or are you just interested in propagating lies for Jesus,, you BFCL4J (Big Fat Christian Liars 4 Jesus)?

what EXACTLY is stopping humans from evolving today?

These deluded evolutionists, they are yet to find the so called missing link[that never existed] btw homosapiens and homoerectus yet they are deluding themselves that a supposedly 4.4 million year old monkey is their ancestor. It's really amazing how some clowns make a fool of themselves in the name of science. Perhaps it is to justify all the un meritted grants they have been collecting to do their research and establish a basis to collect more. What a bunch of jokers.

Oh Ardi we worship thee!!

These deluded evolutionist done come again again eh?. . dem no wan rest. . .lol. . which one be this again?

They came to these conclusions after 17 years of scientific research and peer review.

cant understand why you're so fired up over a plain gorilla but care to explain in a short and simple paragraph?

In my original post I meant it resembles a regular ape like any type one can find today in the mountains of Africa. ie if you, huxley, find some gorilla bones, you can label them ancient humans if you like.

i dont see how that translates as a victory for you unless you added a little Johnny Walker to your morning tea.

Can you explain to me what brand of creationism you mean?

Comparative anatomy, anthropology and archeology.  Exactly the same techniques the forensic scientist use to tell the difference between the bones of cats, humans and dogs.  Have you ever watched a Forensic Detectives or read a crime novel?

The gap in the fossil record does not present a serious challenge to evolution nowadays.  There will always be gaps because only a very very small fraction of animals fossilise, less than 0.05%. 

If you think that this is a real problem, what explains the fact that a great deal of prediction about ancient species are being found daily, yearly all over the world?  The scientists who study these things make specific prediction about which species and where to find them - and lo & below, when they go there and look long and hard enough, they find them.



If you insist on saying that it could be a guided process, then I suggest your defintion of the word "guided" has no meaning.  I would accept the proposition that god started it all off and retire from the scene, never to be involved again - but not guided.  Anything that is guided should show strong directionality, purpose, intent and design.  But there is no evidence that any of these are present in evolution.  Unless, of course you want to accept that the guider is an incompetent bubbling fart.

GBAMMMMMMM    I wish God can just grant these guy's wish and turn him to Ardi, even if it's just for a day like king Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible