Re: Ether and Evolution and Infallibility

[Smaneck]

In a message dated 12/11/2004 12:04:20 P.M. Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: "Second, there is a discussion about radiocarbon dating, which is our best method for dating fossils less than 30,000 years old. Let's go back in time to 1912. At Piltdown near Sussex a skull had been found in a gravel pit that had a modern braincase and orangutan jaw. Dear Fairborz,   What date is this article? Yes, there was a fraud perpetrated once which put together a modern skull with jaw of another ape species, but I'm not sure what that proves. Nor would such a finding necessarily constitute a 'missing link'. I'm not even sure what a missing link would mean. We don't so much speak of a 'link' between man and apes today as we consider hominids a part of the ape family. People don't descend from other apes, but the share a common ancestor with chimps and gorillas principally. Orangutans are much more distant. Such an ancestor would be much more primitive than either modern humans or great apes, and thus not of much interest. What is more interesting is the fossil record of early hominids (apes who walked upright)  of which we find the Australopithecus with the brain the size of an orange. This dates from about 4 million years ago, though the date keeps being pushed back. There are about 1000 skeleton remains of this species the most famous being Lucy. They give us a fairly complete record of evolution into homo habilis, the hominid who first used tools. That dates from about 2 mya, though some recent evidence may suggest it goes back much earlier as well. There again we have enough fossil records to observe its evolution into homo erectus who was of modern stature, intelligent enough to master fire and speech, but whose brain was about 2/3 the size of our own. This is the species that travels throughout Afrasia.   Which of these would be the missing link? Or do you have something else in mind?   warmest, Susan __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu