That was a clickbait title, any time we find new pieces of a skeleton from pre-human history it really is a missing link.
Terminology to know
The fossil in question was a male hominin found in Ethiopia. There are some claims that this is the oldest known ancestor and well that isn’t true. We can’t say for sure that this is even a direct ancestor of ours.
What is a Missing Link?
A thing that is needed in order to complete a series, provide continuity, or gain complete knowledge.” they are the missing link between prog rock and punk rock”
Every fossil we find from pre-human bipedal remains is a missing link. It provides a record of how we as humans possibly evolved.
Wait, what?
That is right, these fossils are amazing and provide a unique glimpse into the life of our early ancestors or so we believe. Here is the thing, because DNA has such a short half-life there is no way to prove that these particularly ancient hominins are our ancestors.
You see now that every piece of the fossil record is important to understanding our past. Each piece gives us a clue to the final puzzle, which to be honest is probably unlikely that we ever truly know. That does not make their discovery any less exciting though.
Here is what we do know, they are among the first primates to walk on two feet across great distances. This is both an advantage (carrying things, bigger brain, tool use etc.)
it is also a disadvantage too, do your knees and ankles hurt frequently? How about your hips or your back? Our weight and weight distribution put a lot of pressure on certain parts of our body. Especially in the lower back, hips, and knees. That is a lot to ask of any part f the body. These would be parts that traditionally seen in Apes and Great Ape species that would be supported by the arms and shoulders as well.
This is because pieces of bone from that long ago are really rare and difficult to find and once we find them they are difficult to classify. This skull though is a very interesting find as it is mostly intact. (which is incredibly rare) Mos
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