Missing link

[12thPaladin]

<----- This is a representation of "Ardi" Ardipithecus Ramidus, reconstructed from fossil fragments and possibly the earliest Hominid.
Thought to have lived 4.4Ma ago and pre-dates "Lucy" Australopithecus by about 500Ka.
Some say Ardi may well be Lucy's direct ancestor and as such would indeed be the missing link but there seems to be some contention.
I've read a fair bit but to be honest it's a lot to take in.
I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this in simple terms, preferably without providing links that link to links that lead back to square 1.
Has any recognised scientific body come up with a definitive answer?

[12thPaladin]

The original question still remains:

Is it yet accepted that Ardi was Lucy's direct ancestor?

[WaldoMcFroog]

Are you like Guy Pierce's character in Memento or something?

How many times do you need to get the same answer?

[12thPaladin]

Thanks for that McFroog, you've already said you don't know the answer.

[WaldoMcFroog]

No, I quite clearly stated that it would be impossible to say for certain, and that no scientist would do so. I'm not sure what more can be added since that *is* the answer to your question.

[12thPaladin]

That's a reasonable comment Waldo.

Extract from Sciencemag.org

Ardipithecus ramidus and the Paleobiology of Early Hominids
Tim D. White, Berhane Asfaw, Yonas Beyene, Yohannes Haile-Selassie, C. Owen Lovejoy, Gen Suwa, and Giday WoldeGabriel
Science 2 October 2009 326: 64, 75-86 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1175802] (in Research Articles)

......varying degrees in species of Australopithecus. The primitive craniofacial pattern shared between Sahelanthropus and Ardipithecus suggests that the genus Australopithecus would later evolve a craniofacial...rapid phyletic transition between Ardipithecus and Australopithecus in the Middle Awash or elsewhere......


Research regarding the discovery of Ardipithecus over 15 years ago was published in October and I'd hoped I'd missed something. Any links?

Didn't see the harm in asking.

[12thPaladin]

...and so to end this then.
You can't blame me for getting a bit tetchy, chakka and jake asking questions about this question presumably to undermine it and you mcfroog referencing rainbow evolution.
Do a Google search for "rainbow theory of evolution"...........oh dear