• This forum is specifically for the discussion of factual science and technology. When the topic moves to speculation, then it needs to also move to the parent forum, Science Fiction and Fantasy (SF/F).

    If the topic of a discussion becomes political, even remotely so, then it immediately does no longer belong here. Failure to comply with these simple and reasonable guidelines will result in one of the following.
    1. the thread will be moved to the appropriate forum
    2. the thread will be closed to further posts.
    3. the thread will remain, but the posts that deviate from the topic will be relocated or deleted.
    Thank you for understanding.​

ANTHROPOLOGY: Europe was the birthplace of mankind, not Africa, scientists find

Opty

Banned
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
4,448
Reaction score
918
Location
Canada
If these findings become widely accepted, then this effectively rewrites the origins of human history (for now).


The discovery of the creature, named Graecopithecus freybergi, and nicknameded ‘El Graeco' by scientists, proves our ancestors were already starting to evolve in Europe 200,000 years before the earliest African hominid.

An international team of researchers say the findings entirely change the beginning of human history and place the last common ancestor of both chimpanzees and humans - the so-called Missing Link - in the Mediterranean region.

I anticipate that resistance to the acceptance of this discovery will be stronger outside of science/academia than inside, if it even gets much publicity outside of a small smattering of articles. I'm sure (if the findings hold up to further scrutiny), that some of the "old guard" will resist it, as several have devoted much of their research and academic lives to believing something else. But, that's kind of true of people in almost all areas of life. Many of us hate finding out that we're wrong.

If these findings hold up, then this is a pretty exciting, interesting find.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/05/22/europe-birthplace-mankind-not-africa-scientists-find
 
Last edited:

buz

edits all posts at least four times
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,147
Reaction score
2,040
I anticipate that resistance to the acceptance of this discovery will be stronger outside of science/academia than inside, if it even gets much publicity outside of a small smattering of articles. I'm sure (if the findings hold up to further scrutiny), that some of the "old guard" will resist it, as several have devoted much of their research and academic lives to believing something else. But, that's kind of true of people in almost all areas of life. Many of us hate finding out that we're wrong.

If these findings hold up, then this is a pretty exciting, interesting find.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/05/22/europe-birthplace-mankind-not-africa-scientists-find

Well, as far as those within/without academia, here's a counterpoint from within:

http://johnhawks.net/weblog/fossils/miocene/graecopithecus/graecopithecus-fuss-2017.html

But, it's just a guy's opinion.

Suppose it comes down to...might be, might not be, but the evidence is so little, not sure anything can be said about it definitive enough to rewrite the current picture of human evolution?
 

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
16,877
Reaction score
5,195
Location
Near the gargoyles
Website
www.alessandrakelley.com
There is, I think, a great deal of fossil evidence for the origin of hominids in Africa. It will be interesting to see how this tooth and this jawbone will fit into that understanding.
 

Opty

Banned
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
4,448
Reaction score
918
Location
Canada
Suppose it comes down to...might be, might not be, but the evidence is so little, not sure anything can be said about it definitive enough to rewrite the current picture of human evolution?
Exactly, which is why I said "if these findings become widely accepted" and "if these findings hold up."
 

buz

edits all posts at least four times
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
5,147
Reaction score
2,040
Exactly, which is why I said "if these findings become widely accepted" and "if these findings hold up."

Well, not sure if there's anything wrong with this particular set of findings, or them holding up--just a matter of limitations in interpreting what they may mean for history in the whole by virtue of just not having the additional data to make a larger statement than what applies specifically to this one piece of a jaw.

Or something. Sigh, I should go to bed...
 

MaeZe

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
12,774
Reaction score
6,480
Location
Ralph's side of the island.
There is, I think, a great deal of fossil evidence for the origin of hominids in Africa. It will be interesting to see how this tooth and this jawbone will fit into that understanding.

I'm going with this post. Piltdown Man not withstanding, the genetic mapping of human migration out of Africa is a pretty steep evidentiary hill to climb unless there's some evidence these hominids migrated to Africa and settled there, only later to migrate out of Africa.
 

Albedo

Alex
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
7,363
Reaction score
2,924
Location
A dimension of pure BEES

Albedo

Alex
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
7,363
Reaction score
2,924
Location
A dimension of pure BEES
Graecopithecus is a type of grilled sandwich? :Huh:
The sister clade to Hominini is Panini, because of taxonomic nomenclature rules (also, scientists are often hungry).

- - - Updated - - -

Still, a Graecopithecus sounds delicious.