Ida “The Missing Link” Creates Buzz and Controversy

Darwinius masillae - History/Atlantic Productions

Darwinius masillae - History/Atlantic Productions

It is hard for those who love science to go onto the web or read a paper and not see something about Ida “The Missing Link”.  Ida is indeed remarkable as one of the best preserved and earliest primate fossils we have.  But some in the scientific community are weary of the hype.  Although Ida is indeed a transitional form between Lemur-like creatures and more modern primates it is not entirely certain that we humans are a direct descendant.

A copy of the fossil is on display as part of the American Museum of Natural History’s “Extreme Mammals” exhibit.

The New York Times has a good general article about the discovery here.

Brian Switek, a scienceblogs blogger who covers paleontology has a really good write up of some of the science and controversy here.

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    17

    Microbe Finds Arsenic Tasty; Redefines Life


    New Microbe Samples

    NASA scientists have discovered an amazing new life-form that redefines what we consider to be the basic building blocks of life.

    A microbe found at the bottom of Mono Lake in California seems able to live in a solution of arsenic which is poisonous to most other life.  Phosphorus, which used to be considered one of the essential building blocks of life, is replaced by arsenic in this organism.

    Dr. Sasselov, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and director of an institute on the origins of life there said, “I would like to know, when designing experiments and instruments to look for life [on other planets], whether I should be looking for same stuff as here on Earth, or whether there are other options.  Are we going to look for same molecules we love and know here, or broaden our search?”

    Seems like we have aliens right here on earth!!!

    Original NYTimes article…

    Dec 10