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Saadanius: Basal ancestor of Apes and Monkeys?
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23-07-2010 6:42pm#1Haven't seen this posted here yet, but there has been a recent discovery of a fossil which could be one of the common ancestors between Old World monkeys and the great apes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/jul/14/ape-ancestors-fossil-skull-saadaniusA fossilised, battle-scarred skull belonging to a previously unknown species of primate has been unearthed that sheds light on the evolutionary origins of apes, including humans.
The creature was no bigger than a baboon and lived in the canopy of a warm, damp forest near what is now the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia, between 28m and 29m years ago.
The remains, which include a partial skull and teeth, were recovered from ironstone sediment during an expedition to the site in February 2009, but only now has a detailed description of the fossil been published.
The discovery, reported in Nature, is being hailed as one of the most significant finds in decades because it illuminates a critical moment in evolution when ancient primates split into two separate lineages
I'm surprised I hadn't heard anything about it, as it seems to me to be a huge discovery. Although I suppose thats a good thing after the poor reporting when it came to Ida.
For those who have a subscription to Nature, you can find the original study here
Anyone a bit more qualified than me want to shed some light on the find?Failed to load the poll.3
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