Page 191 - The Errors the American National Academy of Sciences

The NAS's Human Evolution Error

he NAS's Errors Regarding
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T Th e N A S ' ' s s E r r r r o r r s R e g a r r d i i n g Australopithecus
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T The NAS's Errors Regarding Australopithecus
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In its chapter on human evolution, the NAS devotes the greatest
space to Australopithecus, suggesting that these creatures were transi-
tional forms with half-human, half-ape features.
The fact is, however, that these creatures—to whom the suffix
"–pithecus," the Latinized Greek equivalent of "tailless ape," is ap-
plied—are actually an extinct species of ape and represent no evi-
dence at all of human evolution. In fact, Australopithecus closely
resembles the chimpanzee. Lucy, for instance, the best-known exam-
ple of Australopithecus (Australopithecus afarensis), had a chimp-sized
brain, chimp-shaped rib cage and jawbone, and arms and legs that in-
dicate it walked like a chimp. It even had a chimp shaped pelvis. 6
To the right is the Australopithecus afarensis
skull AL 444-2, and below a modern chimpanzee
skull. The very clear similarity between them is
an evident indication that A. afarensis was an or-
dinary species of ape with no human fea-
tures.
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