Question for those who are looking for the missing link?

Question

I've often seen people asking for the missing link between Pan troglodytes (Common Chimpanzee) and Homo Sapiens (us) so for those people I have a question.

I'm wondering what the "missing link" between Canis Lupus (Grey Wolf) and Canis Lupus Familaris (Dogs) looks like. We can tray the origins of domestic dogs and its not any deity, but if there has to be a missing link in human evolution doesn't there have to be one for all species?

Or is the jump from species to subspecies plausible for you just not from one genus to another?

So yes, if you can tell me what the missing link between Dogs and Wolves looks like I can use that information to identity the missing link between Humans and Chimps. Thanks!

Answer 1

Besides the fact the the term "missing link" is only used by creationists because it was a popular term 50 to 100+ years ago and that it has no meaning in biology, I have no clue what you are asking about.

Answer 2

Anyone looking for that link really hasn't examined the trees of either species.  Chimps and humans are about 6 million years removed from each other, and there is a pretty clear picture all the way back.   But it has a lot of species, not just one.

Wolves and dogs can interbreed they are so close.  They are barely separate species as it is.

Answer 3

Yes.  The fossil record we have is not complete.  We haven't found everything, yet.  

But regarding the link between humans and apes/chimpanzees, cite this research.

"Generation and annotation of human chromosomes 2 & 4"

Absolute proof of our genetic link to the great apes.  This research has been verified and duplicated from scientists all over the world.

Answer 4

This is more of a Biology & science question. Try there.  

Answer 5

Anyone who brings up the term "missing link" doesn't really understand palaentology or any science.

Answer 6

Most dog breds are "manmade".

[edit] History

Humans maintained a population of useful animals around their places of habitat since pre-historic times [2]. They intentionally fed useful dogs, while killing wild dogs, establishing the relationships between humans and specific types of dogs over thousands of years. Later, certain domesticated dogs developed into different types, or groups, such as livestock guardian dogs, hunting dogs, and sight hounds. In order to maintain these differences, humans intentionally mated dogs with certain characteristics.

Over years, hundreds of dog breeds were developed, while the ownership of working, and, later, purebred dogs, had been a privilege of the wealthy. Nowadays, many people can afford to buy a dog. Some breeders chose to breed purebred dogs, while some prefer to produce crossbred “mix breed” dogs, claiming that the outcross is healthier than original breeds, and avoiding linebreeding or inbreeding.

Man had no "breeders" to develope him.

Answer 7

Here's the thing - The earth isn't always in a state of fossilizing everything everywhere. Something that happens in 10, 000 years, lets say, has a less likely chance of something that's been around for 100,000.

Also, why there is little fossilization of human "transitions" is that most primates live in the forest. The forest is probably the WORST place for any chance of having something fossilize. The bone is decayed at such a fast rate, it would take a volcano to completely cover the forest to have any chance of something fossilizing.

Between dogs and wolves? Well, your not going to find a transition to every animal towards every animal. I don't know much about the canus background, but I can tell you that "missing links" do happen, but we have other ways to fix this. We can date using molecular clocks (very accurate), study anatomy, behavior, the geography of which they live, etc. This alone can prove to be more accurate than fossils alone (though its much more accurate if you have both! Which is often the case). Yes, it is a shame there was no one around with a video camera recording each generation of dog/human/animal over the many billions of years, but we must make due with the information presented.

Edit: YES! I strongly, I stress strongly, recommend that you look at chromosome 2 for evidence that common day chimpanzee's are our "cousins" so-to-speak. You can find a video explaining it here by the brilliant professor Ken Miller, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi8FfMBYC...

Answer 8

it is still missing.oops how can something that doesn't exist be missing my bad.