There is a certain doublespeak one finds in supporters of the General Theory of Evolution. It is not uncommon for that side in the debate to on the one hand state that we know the descent of man and yet on the other hand to rejoice so greatly in finally finding the allusive "missing link." In the news a recently uncovered fossil is being hailed as the great find of our time. The media hype and fascinating celebrations, however, have not silenced the critics. Take note of what is being said by the scientific community regarding the hype of the find, affectionately dubbed "Ida."

"What does it tell us about human evolution that we didn't know? Precious little," said Stonybrook University paleoanthropologist John Fleagle.

"On the whole I think the evidence is less than convincing...They make an intriguing argument but I would definitely say that the consensus is not in favor of the hypothesis they're proposing." said Chris Gilbert, paleoanthropologist at Yale University.

"They claim in the paper that by examining the anatomy of adapids, these animals have something to do with the direct line of human ancestry and living monkeys and apes. This claim is buttressed with almost no evidence...And they failed to cite a body of literature that's been going on since at least 1984 that presents evidence against their hypothesis," said paleontologist Richard Kay of Duke University.

Source for quotes:

Moskowitz, Clara, "Amid Media Circus, Scientists Doubt 'Ida' Is Your Ancestor", LiveScience, May 20th, AD 2009, found at http://www.livescience.com/animals/090520-fossil-reactions.html, accessed May 22nd, AD 2009.