Missing Link Photo: The Truth Is Out There

Speaking of nature photography, have you seen the image of the new “missing link” fossil now on view at the American Museum of Natural History in New York? This fossil, which is 47 million years old, is said by scientists to the earliest human ancestor–a link between the animals that became homo sapien and other mammals. It’s a controversial theory, but very exciting, and the announcement is being pumped up with considerable marketing muscle. The fossil is called Ida (“eeda”), and when you gaze at the images of it, you understand the primordial fear evoked by the creature in the Alien films.–David Schonauer