OT: new cat amongst the racial pigeons?

[The Natural Philosopher]

[Cursitor Doom]

I always just *knew* the official line was a load of old bollocks! When I was growing up, we were told at school that mankind arose in Mesopotamia and some pretty compelling evidence was put forward for it. But then the PC lot got hold of it and 'revised' it to Africa (oddly enough with no compelling evidence whatsoever.) Ever since then, the kids have been told their forebears originated in the Dark Continent (am I allowed to call it that any more?). Too bad, I just did. :-D

[Max Demian]

That's 'civilisation', i.e. people living in cities, 7000 years ago. The article is about when we split from the apes, 7 *million* years ago.

[whisky-dave]

They'll eventully find that it was London, east london to be precise ;-)

[Davey]

..which happens to be in Africa:

[The Natural Philosopher]

I fear you may be right.

[Chris Hogg]

The evidence was actually very compelling and based on DNA analyses. Perhaps you just didn't understand it. You should read 'Out of Eden' by Stephen Oppenheimer, 'The Seven Daughters of Eve' by Bryan Sykes, and 'The Incredible Human Journey' by Alice Roberts.

Quote from the Telegraph article by Dr Peter Andrews, formerly at the Natural History Museum in London "It is possible that the human lineage originated in Europe, but very substantial fossil evidence places the origin in Africa, including several partial skeletons and skulls.I would be hesitant about using a single character from an isolated fossil to set against the evidence from Africa."

Original paper here

[Harry Bloomfield]

Cursitor Doom expressed precisely :

I think they changed their minds because 'Zinge' (SP?) was discovered, the oldest bones found up to that time. The Greek bones predate Zinge, so we originate from Greece, at least until some older remains are found.

[GB]

It's all very interesting, but what's it got to do with racing pigeons?

[newshound]

?This study changes the ideas related to the knowledge about the time and the place of the first steps of the humankind,? said Professor Nikolai Spassov from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

?Graecopithecus is not an ape. He is a member of the tribe of hominins and the direct ancestor of h*mo.

To claim direct ancestry with absolute certainty shows he is an idiot.

Vulgar Bulgars should stick to making Cabernet Sauvignon.

[dennis]

They are old fossils that some think are the "missing link", however just because they have a physical resemblance doesn't mean they are predecessors of humans.

However studies of DNA show modern humans most likely originated in Africa.

There are about seven million years difference between the two, probably enough time for several species to develop and die out.

[Brian Gaff]

Actually the interbreeding of hominids and Neanderthals happened mostly in Europe. Brian

[Max Demian]

You mean Homos sapiens and neanderthalensis, about 50,000 years ago. The article is about when humans split from the apes, 7,000,000 years ago.

[harry]

It wuz all in the bible.

[Harry Bloomfield]

The correct spelling was Zinj or Zinjanthropus. I first read about it in Nat Geo in the early 60's.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You surely can't be suggesting we all developed from blacks? Harry will have to kill himself.