Great Primate Fossil; Great Hype

Everyone seems to agree that this 47-million-year-old primate fossil, named Darwinius masillae, is a remarkable find. The preservation is fine enough to reveal the stomach contents and the outline of the fur.

But it's also supposed to be a source of revenue--this may be the first fossil whose publication was accompanied by a press conference, a History Channel film, and a book--and is being hyped (i.e. marketed) as a revolutionary find that's going to change everything about our understanding of primate evolution.

For cooler heads, see here, here, and here.

Bottom line: Neat? Yes. Important? Yes. Revolutionary? Not so much.

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