/technology
Scientists piece together human ancestry
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A 47-million-year-old fossil is being heralded as an early human ancestor
Scientist says the find is the "most complete primate fossil before human burial"
The fossil was discovered in the 80s, but was split between collections until now
(CNN) -- Scientists hailed Tuesday a 47-million-year-old fossil of an ancient "small cat"-sized
primate as a possible common ancestor of monkeys, primates and humans.
Scientists say the fossil, dubbed "Ida," is a transitional species, living around the time the
primate lineage split into two groups: A line that would eventually produce humans, primates
and monkeys, and another that would give rise to lemurs and other primates.
The fossil was formally named Darwinius masillae, in honor of the anniversary of Charles
Darwin's 200th birthday.
"This is the most complete primate fossil before human burial," said Dr. Jorn Hurum, of the
Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo, who led the study of the fossil, a young
female primate.
"And it's not a few million years old; it's 47 million years old," Hurum said, speaking at a news
conference at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
The fossil was discovered in 1983 in the Messel Pit, Germany, near Frankfurt, and had been
until recently in private collections, according to an article published Tuesday in the scientific
journal PLoS ONE, a publication of the Public Library of Science.
However, because it was split into two parts, its significance was not immediately recognized.
An international team of scientists, which Hurum led, conducted a detailed forensic analysis of
the fossil for the past two years, the release said.
Hurum nicknamed the fossil Ida after his young daughter, he said.
The fossil's body is nearly complete; only part of one leg is missing, according to Hurum. In
addition to the bones, the softer features are also preserved, as are the remnants of its last
meal: fruits, seeds and leaves, which were found in Ida's gut, according to the scientists.
"It's such a beautiful specimen," Hurum said of Ida. He said the fossil is about 2 feet long, "like a
small cat in size."
The fossil has both adult and baby teeth, indicating that it was weaned and about 9 months old
when it died, the PLoS article said.
She would have eventually grown to the size of a lemur, the article said.
The young primate fossil does not have two crucial anatomical features found in lemurs: a
grooming claw on the second digit of its foot and a fused row of teeth in the middle of its lower
jaw, known as a toothcomb, the scientists said.
X-rays revealed a broken wrist, which the team of scientists believe may have contributed to
Ida's death, according to a news release from the museum at Oslo.
Ida may have been overcome by carbon dioxide gas while drinking from the Messel lake, which
was often covered by a low-lying blanket of the gas, the news release said. Hampered by the
broken wrist, the young primate may have fallen into unconsciousness and may have slipped
into the lake. The primate sunk to the bottom and was preserved for 47 million years, the news
release said.
Vocabulary
PHRASAL VERBS
piece sth-together
1to understand a story, situation, etc. by taking all the facts and details about it and putting them
together: Police are trying to piece together the last hours of her life.
2to put all the separate parts of sth together to make a complete whole SYN assemble:
Herald: verb, noun
verb [vn] (formal)
1to be a sign that sth is going to happen: These talks could herald a new era of peace
2herald sb/sth (as sth) [often passive] to say in public that sb/sth is good or important: The
report is being heralded as a blueprint for the future of transport.
noun
1something that shows that sth else is going to happen soon: The government claims that the
fall in unemployment is the herald of economic recovery.
2(in the past) a person who carried messages from a ruler
Burial: noun
[U, C] the act or ceremony of burying a dead body:a burial place / mound / site Ç Her body was
sent home for burial. Ç His family insisted he should be given a proper burial.
Hail: verb, noun
verb
1[usually passive] hail sb/sth (as) sth to describe sb/sth as being very good or special,
especially in newspapers, etc.:[vn] The conference was hailed as a great success. Ç [vn-n]
Teenager Matt Brown is being hailed a hero for saving a young child from drowning.
2[vn] to signal to a taxi or a bus, in order to get the driver to stop:to hail a taxi / cab
3[vn] (literary) to call to sb in order to say hello to them or attract their attention: A voice hailed
us from the other side of the street.
4[v] when it hails, small balls of ice fall like rain from the sky:It’s hailing!
PHRASAL VERBS
'hail from…
(formal) to come from or have been born in a particular place: His father hailed from Italy.
noun
1[U] small balls of ice that fall like rain: We drove through hail and snow.
2[sing.] a ~ of sth a large number or amount of sth that is aimed at sb in order to harm them: a
hail of arrows / bullets Ç a hail of abuse
Primate: noun
1/ Ñ 'praImeIt; NAmE Ñ / any animal that belongs to the group of mammals that includes
humans, apes and monkeys
2/ Ñ 'praImJt; NAmE ; -meIt; NAmE / an archbishop (= a priest of very high rank in the Christian
Church):the Primate of all England (= the Archbishop of Canterbury)
Dub: verb, noun
verb (-bb-)
1[vn-n] to give sb/sth a particular name, often in a humorous or critical way: The Belgian actor
Jean Claude Van Damme has been dubbed ‘Muscles from Brussels’.
2[vn] dub sth (into sth) to replace the original speech in a film / movie or television programme
with words in another language: an American movie dubbed into Italian—compare subtitle
3[vn] (especially BrE) to make a piece of music by mixing sounds from different recordings
noun
[U] a type of West Indian music or poetry with a strong beat
Transition: noun
[U, C] transition (from sth) (to sth) | transition (between A and B) the process or a period of
changing from one state or condition to another:the transition from school to full-time work Ç We
need to ensure a smooth transition between the old system and the new one. Ç He will remain
head of state during the period of transition to democracy. Ç This course is useful for students
who are in transition (= in the process of changing) from one training programme to another.
transitional adjective: a transitional period Ç a transitional government
Lineage: noun
[U, C] (formal) the series of families that sb comes from originally SYN ancestry
Lemur: noun
an animal like a monkey, with thick fur and a long tail, that lives in trees in Madagascar
Forensic: adjective [only before noun]
1connected with the scientific tests used by the police when trying to solve a crime: forensic
evidence / medicine / science / tests Ç the forensic laboratory Ç a forensic pathologist
2connected with or used in court:a forensic psychiatrist (= one who examines people who have
been accused of a crime)
Remnant: noun
1[usually pl.] a part of sth that is left after the other parts have been used, removed, destroyed,
etc. SYN remains:The woods are remnants of a huge forest which once covered the whole
area.
2a small piece of cloth that is left when the rest has been sold
Gut: noun, verb, adjective
noun
1[C] the tube in the body through which food passes when it leaves the stomach SYN intestine
Specimen: noun
1a small amount of sth that shows what the rest of it is like SYN sample: Astronauts have
brought back specimens of rock from the moon.
2a single example of sth, especially an animal or a plant: The aquarium has some interesting
specimens of unusual tropical fish. Ç (humorous) They were fine specimens of British youth!
3a small quantity of blood, urine, etc. that is taken from sb and tested by a doctor: to
provide / take a specimen
Wean: verb
[vn] wean sb/sth (off / from sth) to gradually stop feeding a baby or young animal with its
mother’s milk and start feeding it with solid food
PHRASAL VERBS
'wean sb off / from sth
to make sb gradually stop doing or using sth: The doctor tried to wean her off sleeping pills.
'wean sb on sth
[usually passive] to make sb experience sth regularly, especially from an early age :He was
weaned on a diet of rigid discipline and duty.
Grooming: noun
[U] the things that you do to keep your clothes and hair clean and neat, or to keep an animal’s
fur or hair clean: You should always pay attention to personal grooming.
Digit: noun
1any of the numbers from 0 to 9:The number 57306 contains five digits. Ç a four-digit number
2(anatomy) a finger, thumb or toe
Fused
1when one thing fuses with another, or two things fuse or are fused, they are joined together to
form a single thing
Hamper: verb, noun
verb
[vn] [often passive] to prevent sb from easily doing or achieving sth SYN hinder
Πnoun
1a large basket with a lid, especially one used to carry food in:a picnic hamper
2(especially BrE) a box or package containing food, sent as a gift:a Christmas hamper
3(NAmE) a large basket that you keep your dirty clothes in until they are washed