Were Upright Apes Around Longer Than We Think?

[jimmydasaint]

This is an intriguing thought from a 'proper' scientist, not a nutcase, who thought that the age of bipedal motility could be pushed back to around 21 million years ago rather than the conventional 6 million years consensus. I don't treat this as speculation but rigorous logic, yet I cannot find another slot for it:

 

Human Origins Revolutionized

An Upright Ancestor for the Apes

 

The discovery of an ancient fossil in Moroto, Uganda from 21 million years ago was the first sign of a major flaw in our models of human evolution. It is almost identical to a modern human lumbar vertebra.

 

But it was just one fossil against a world full of scientific opinion that humans, with their upright bipedal walking did not emerge until the chimpanzee-human split 6 million years ago.

 

Then fossils of another upright bipedal ape - Oreopithecus - were found. Then another - Pierolapithecus. And then Sahelanthropus.

 

First there was one. Now there are four upright bipedal species of apes before the chimp-human split.

 

Paleoanthropology as a field has not yet come to grips with the revolutionary implications. The first "human" was probably Morotopithecus and probably lived 21 million years ago. The existing apes have a human ancestor

 

http://www.uprightape.net/

 

Any thoughts, disagreements, agreements?

[Mr Skeptic]

The website's name seems suspicious...

[jimmydasaint]

I don't think Aaron Filler is a creationist or has an agenda. He is just trying to make a point that bipedal behaviour was around 21 million years ago and uses his extensive knolwedge of anatomy to prove his point. I find it astounding that he is not taken seriously and is seen as a 'troublemaker' because he does not concur with the consensus.

[Mr Skeptic]

I think his agenda is to sell his book.

[JohnB]

Perhaps. However the idea of a bipedal ancestor to both us and the apes is interesting, if confronting.

 

If his interpretation of the data is correct then there was such an ancestor and for some reason bipedalism gave way to quadrapedalism(?) for a time.

 

This goes against that smooth growth curve for the evolution of the hominids and may upset some people. (You know the one, it finishes up with man standing erect.) But if he's right, then he's right and there was a bipedal ancestor 20 million years ago. We must go where the evidence leads.