Unless you have been stranded on a desert isle, you have likely seen or heard something about the recent announcements concerning Ardipithecus ramidus, the 4.4 million year old hominid fossil. Mainstream media reports vary in quality, some competent, others not so much. The usual distortions, "missing link" hype, and reports "balanced" with creationist views are sure to proliferate. We would like to direct your attention to three quality sources:
Brian Switek's Laelaps blog. Switek focuses on several aspects of the story, including the careful and long (15 years!) research behind this announcement and its grounding in peer-reviewed journal articles. This is contrasted with the rushed, and hyped Hollywood-style introductio of "Ida". Switek also gives a readable introduction to the alternative interpretations to hominid/human evolution and how "Ardi" affects this ongoing debate.
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