Trust press reports on missing links? Early UK press leaks said: “A ‘missing link’ between humans and their apelike ancestors has been discovered,” reported Richard Gray, Daily Telegraph Science correspondent, 3 Apr 2010. He wrote: “The new discovery could help to rewrite the history of human evolution by filling in crucial gaps in the scientific knowledge. Most fossilised hominid remains are little more than scattered fragments of bone, so the discovery of an almost-complete skeleton will allow scientists to answer key questions about what our early ancestors looked like and when they began walking upright on two legs.” By Friday April 9 2010, the Australian Newspaper’s front page reported: “Two boys close the evolutionary gap”
Meanwhile New Scientist reported: “the juvenile is the most complete australopithecine skeleton yet found from the period: includes much of the skull and large parts of an arm, leg and pelvis.” A far cry from the “almost complete skeleton” of the first press leaks.
However, the actual scientific paper, Science, vol. 328, p154 & 195, 9 April 2010 revealed the alleged fossil boy’s brain size was 420 cc compared to Lucy (A. Afarensis 415 cc) and modern chimp around 400cc. It was also stated that the juvenile’s arm/leg ratio is that of a chimp and it has a thumb on its foot like a chimp. Which reminds us of the old saying; “If it waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck – it’s not a pussy!”
Now for what was actually said by the finder, Lee R Berger, as quoted in New Scientist: “It is most likely descended from A. africanus,” Berger writes. However, after comparing the new discovery with previously known fossils, he found it “not possible to establish the precise phylogenetic position of A. sediba in relation to the various species assigned to early Homo”.
You can reach your own conclusions about media agenda! (Ref. journalism, evolutionism, anti-creation, hominid)
Evidence News, 28 April 2010