Dead apes and penguin poo

Another newly-described primate fossil was unveiled this week with much less fanfare than Ida, but I suspect it will turn out to be more significant. Anoiapithecus brevirostris is actually thought to be a hominoid, which means it's more human-like than Darwinius (Ida). It raises again in my mind the question of why God made primates at all. Why not just people? It's all part of that similarity problem that keeps me occupied.

In other news, this sounds fascinating: Scientists map penguins from space by locating their feces. I'm so glad tax dollars are well spent.

Moya-Sola et al. 2009. A unique Middle Miocene European hominoid and the origins of the great ape and human clade. PNAS doi:10.1073/pnas.0811730106.