Monkey in the Middle

Greg Adlehause - Paleontology/Archeology/History
York, PA

Everyone is making a huge deal out of the "missing link" skeleton that was recently found. I am both Christian and believe in evolution, but this is all hype. Don't buy into it.

Recently a skeleton was discovered that ties humans to monkeys, or lemurs if you wish to be exact. It is known as Ida, and Darwinius masillae scientifically. Which ever it is called it shows very little. The actual fossil shows advanced primate like traits, including hands that can grasp, shorter apendages, and an opposable thumbs. However, this is like Tiktaalik. For those who do not know, Tiktaalik is the amphibian that supposely lead to all land dwelling reptiles. Tiktaalik had fins that may have allowed it to raise it's head out of water, and may have had lungs to breathe air. The truth is unknown. There is no link between this air brething fish and reptiles. No proof shows either Ida or Tiktaalik was a missing link.

That is the rub. Certain fossils may seem to be "the missing link" between fish and amphibians, monkeys and man, or even dinosaurs and birds. However, with every missing link found comes another missing link. What better or less evolved animal led to this or followed this animal? The science community should dissuade the term missing link. It simply denotes there is a straight line in evoltion and everything can be drawn up neatly. For all we know our missing links are nature's way of testing out abilities. These missing links may be abnormalities that died out quickly before evolving in another group of the same animal. It's a wasted term that gets way too much attention.