[Taxacom] Hominid origins

[John Grehan]

Some on this list may be interested to know that the paper "Evolution of
the third orangutan: phylogeny and biogeography of hominid origins" has
been accepted for publication in the Journal of Biogeography. 

The paper includes a comprehensive morphological cladistic analysis
supporting a sister group relationship between humans/hominids and
orangutans (although it does not include either Sahelanthropus or
Ardipithecus as hominids - there just isn't any real evidence). 

The paper demonstrates morphological congruence between the living and
the fossil record, and also includes a section outlining various
problematic aspects of molecular analysis that give reasons why the
molecular result can, at least sometimes, give the wrong result, even if
from different 'genes' and using LOTS of base pairs.

The paper also provides a vicariant differentiation model to explain why
hominids 'apparently' [still keeping that one open] originated in Africa
and orangutans in eastern Asia.

John Grehan