Considering Ida’s
remarkable physical characteristics — and estimated lifetime —
researchers are convinced she proves human evolution. Jorn Hurum of
Oslo’s Natural History Museum remarked, "This is the first link to
all humans … The closest thing we can get to a direct
ancestor."
Of course, we can’t
be sure Ida’s the missing link, as Washington University’s
Brian Richmond points out in
National Geographic: "[Ida] is one of the important
branching points on the evolutionary tree, but it’s not the only
branching point."