Fossils fill gap in human lineage

Could someone more knowledgeable than I comment on the significance of
this? As an electrical engineer I can't tell if this is equivalent of
adding the 3rd or the millionth digit to the value of pie. ie Is it
important or just a nit.

Dave Wallace

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4900946.stm
Fossils fill gap in human lineage
By Paul Rincon
BBC News science reporter

* Fossil hunters have found remains of a probable direct ancestor of
humans that lived more than four million years ago. *

The specimens of this ancient creature are helping bridge a long gap
during a crucial phase of human evolution.

Professor Tim White of the University of California, Berkeley, and
colleagues unearthed the cache of fossils in the Middle Awash region of
Ethiopia.

They describe the finds, which belong to the species / Australopithecus
anamensis / , in the journal Nature.

/ Australopithecus / is an important ancient genus of humanlike
creatures, or hominids.

        *I think you could argue...what we're monitoring here is the genesis of
that second stage of human evolution - the genesis of / Australopithecus
/ *
Tim White, UC Berkeley
Received on Sat Apr 15 12:03:57 2006