New Fossil Strenghtens Theory of Evolution

“You ever noticed how people who believe in Creationism look really unevolved? You ever noticed that? Eyes real close together, eyebrow ridges, big furry hands and feet. "I believe God created me in one day" Yeah, looks like He rushed it.” - Bill Hicks

Today, in New York the primate fossil dubbed, 'Ida', was unveiled. The significance of Ida is monumental. Not only is the fossil 95% complete, but even the remnant of her last meal is intact. "It tells a part of our evolution that's been hidden so far. It's been hidden because the only [other] specimens are so incomplete and so broken there's nothing almost to study", says Dr. Hurum of Ida. Ida is similar to other 4 legged mammal like the cow, sheep and dog.

The amazing preservation of this fossil is attributed to a volcanic deposit at Messel:

"The basin in which the deposit accumulated formed during a volcanic explosion. It filled with water, which seemingly, one way or another, accumulated gases that poisoned animals individually, episodically, or periodically"

Archaeologists here in the Midwest wouldn't mind that kind of preservation!!

A monumental find like Ida helps to solidify the theory of evolution, not that it was ever in any real harm. Science is not a guessing game, or a set of dogmatic rules. It presents facts to us and we place those facts in context. Ida will allow us to understand more fully how our species has evolved. Even with all of his research shortcomings, Darwin attempted to put the human existence into context, so it is fitting that the scientific name for Ida is darwinius masillae.

Pure Bliss

My Eyes Are Open

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." - Albert Einstein

In December, I graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Since then I have been looking for work and catching up on some reading.

Lately I have been wondering, what is a B.A. worth these days? Well lets do some simple math;

-About 11,000 in Federal Student Loans

-About 15,000 in Private Student Loans

-4 Months, 5 days a week, 8 hours a days of looking for a job totaling about 640 hours

-Over 200 resumes and applications finished

As the summer months approach and the ground thaws, the American Archaeology season is just beginning. In the next few weeks I am interviewing for archaeology positions in the Chicago area, Iowa, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Considering the wide range of possibilities, I will keep a journal of sorts here on my experiences as an Shovel Bum over the coming months.

The worth of a degree is different for everyone; a chance for financial growth, a stepping stone to a higher degree or plain self gratification, but for me it's worth will be measured by the adventure into the unknown. Or as one of my favorite TV series puts it, "to boldly go where no man has gone before".


My Eyes are open.