Is The Ida Fossil Really The Fossil Link We Were Waiting For?

The fossilized skeleton of Ida (the “Darwinius Fossil”) which was recently shown publicly for the first time - after more than 20 years in a private collection - is remarkably well preserved.

But is Ida the “missing fossil link” between human primates and other animals?

Steve Connor of the Independent argues that, while it is a very special fossil in many ways, it cannot be construed as the so-called “missing link”, mainly because there are always going to be many missing links between us and other animal ancestors.

Connor deflates the publicity balloon further by pointing out that Ida is also not our direct ancestor, but is from a parallel primate line to that from which humans derive.

Nevertheless, the Independent’s article doesn’t deny that this fossil is unique, if only because it is such a well preserved and complete example of a very early primate, which lived during the transition between lemurs and primates with physical traits which could later be found back in humans. “Her features clearly show the transition from lemur-like animal to ape-like primate” says Connor.

Click here to learn more about recent fossils found (see image above) in the remarkable Camdeboo Karoo area around Graaff-Reinet, South Africa, and to enquire about fossil tours.