Hilary McClure wrote:
> william wrote:
>> 
>> Am I the only one here who has heard of the "Missing Link"?
> 
> Of course, everyone here has heard the term "Missing Link". But
> William, I'm wondering what you mean by "the". Which missing link are
> you referring to? 

The one between Homo Sap and apeman.

> Here are some relevant quotes from the wikipedia page on
> "Transitional fossil": "A popular term used to designate transitional
> forms is "missing links". The term tends to be used in the popular
> media, but is avoided in the scientific press as it is inaccurate and
> confusing. In reality, the discovery of more and more transitional
> fossils continues to add to knowledge of evolutionary transitions."
> 
> "The idea of a "missing link" between humans and so-called "lower" 
> animals remains lodged in the public imagination. The concept was 
> fuelled by the discovery of Australopithecus africanus (Taung Child),
>  Java Man, Homo erectus, Sinanthropus pekinensis (Peking Man) and
> other Hominina fossils."
> 
> "Transitional fossils (popularly termed missing links) are the 
> fossilized remains of intermediary forms of life that illustrate an 
> evolutionary transition. They can be identified by their retention of
>  certain primitive (plesiomorphic) traits in comparison with their
> more derived relatives, as they are defined in the study of
> cladistics. Numerous examples exist, including those of primates and
> early humans."
> 
Evidently the evolution of apemen has been shown, but
I don't see a transitional fossil between man and apeman mentioned.

William