Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Giveaway: THE LINK: UNCOVERING OUR EARLIEST ANCESTOR by Colin Tudge

Please see the bottom of this post for details about this giveaway and the rules for entering.


Scientists announce the discovery of a 47-million-year-old primate fossil that is set to revolutionize our understanding of human evolution.




May 19, 2009, NEW YORK, NY—Scientists have announced today the discovery of a 47-million-year-old human ancestor. Discovered in the Messel Pit, Germany, the fossil is twentytimes older than most fossils that explain human evolution. Known as “Ida,” the fossil is atransitional species, showing characteristics of the very primitive nonhuman evolutionary line(prosimians, such as lemurs), but even more closely those of the human evolutionary line(anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes, and humans). This places Ida at the very root of anthropoidevolution—when primates were first developing the features that would evolve into our own.The scientists’ findings are published today by PLoS One, the open-access journal of the PublicLibrary of Science.

Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, will publish THE LINK,by Colin Tudge, on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. The book will reveal in full detail the entirestory of the discovery, excavation, and preservation, and the revolutionary significance ofIda. THE LINK begins with a foreword by Norwegian fossil scientist Dr. Jørn Hurum ofthe University of Oslo’s Natural History Museum, who for the past two years has led aninternational team of scientists as they secretly conducted a detailed forensic analysis of theextraordinary fossil, studying the data to decode humankind’s ancient origins. At 95 percent complete, Ida is set to revolutionize our understanding of human evolution.Unlike Lucy and other famous primate fossils found in Africa’s Cradle of Mankind, Ida is aEuropean fossil, preserved in Germany’s Messel Pit, a mile-wide crater whose oil-rich shale is asignificant site for fossils of the Eocene Epoch. Fossil analysis reveals that the prehistoricprimate was a young female. Opposable big toes and nails rather than claws confirm that thefossil is a primate, and the presence of a talus bone in the foot links Ida directly to humans.The fossil also features the complete soft body outline as well as the gut contents. A herbivore,Ida feasted on fruits, seeds, and leaves. X-rays reveal both baby and adult teeth, and the lack of a“toothcomb,” which is an attribute of lemurs. The scientists estimate Ida’s age when she died tobe approximately nine months, and she measured approximately two feet in length.

An interactive, content-rich website about Ida has been launched at
http://www.revealingthelink.com/.The full scientific findings from the study are set out in the paper “Complete primate skeletonfrom the middle Eocene of Messel in Germany: morphology and paleobiology,” published byPLoS One, the Public Library of Science’s interactive open-access journal for thecommunication of peer-reviewed scientific and medical research (http://www.plosone.org/).

Sound good? Hachette Book Group has generously authorized me to host a giveaway for five (5) copies to THE LINK to readers of A Sea of Books. Just follow the rules listed below.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

  • Leave a comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com.

  • You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

  • You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

  • Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

  • Tweet about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry.

  • Stumble this blog, digg it, or technorati fave it and leave a seperate comment for another entry.

  • Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to PO Boxes.

  • Deadline for entry is 12:00 midnight, Saturday, June 20, 2009 EST.

  • Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

Thank you to Anna at Hachette Book Group for making this giveaway possible.


GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

This contest is now closed.

50 comments:

Gaby317 said...

Please count me in. I first thought that this was a work of fiction - but it describes a real scientific discovery!


+ I'm a current follower

gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com

tetewa said...

I've been hearing alot about this one, count me in!

Kitten22 said...

This looks interesting! Please enter me!

BookCrossingKitten22[at]gmail[dot]com

Kitten22 said...

I'm already a subscriber (through Google Reader)!

BookCrossingKitten22[at]gmail[dot]com

CherylS22 said...

This book looks fascinating - please enter me!

Thanks,
megalon22[at]yahoo[dot]com

CherylS22 said...

I follow

megalon22[at]yahoo[dot]com

Unknown said...

Sounds interesting!! Please enter me :)

lavery328 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

I am a follower :)

lavery328 at yahoo dot com

Heidi V said...

I would like to read this book!

heidivargas [at] live dot com

Heidi V said...

Blogged about the giveaway @ http://theblackcell.com/blogs/?p=23142

heidivargas [at] live dot com

Thanks!!

mindy said...

i would love to win thanks for the giveaway minsthins at optonline dot net

Sir Thrift-A-Lot said...

I'd love to win & read the book!

jchaborek[at]hotmail.com

techyone said...

I'd love to win.

techyone at gmail dot com

M.A.D. said...

Mary
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

I would certainly like to win, anthropology has always been an interest of mine!

Anonymous said...

Anthropology has always been an interest of mine- this book looks good!


texas_heartland84[at]yahoo[dot]com

Dixie said...

I am fascinated by Anthropology.
I'd love to read this.

southrngal(at)gmail(dot)com

Dixie said...

I follow this blog.
southrngal(at)gmail(dot)com

Dixie said...

Tweeted.
http://twitter.com/southrngrl/status/2044698201

southrngal(at)gmail(dot)com

Susan said...

this sounds great, thanks for giving me a chance to win.

Carlene said...

I would love to give this to my stepdad. Sounds like something he would really enjoy. Please include me in your giveaway.
Thanks
Carlene
iluvreading(at)verizon.net

wendy wallach said...

I would like to win and it sounds like a fascinating story.

madamerkf at aol dot com

Lady Roxi said...

I would love to read this.

Thanks,

darkfyre1(at)gmail(dot)Com

Unknown said...

I tweeted :)

http://twitter.com/lifestooshort7

lavery328 at yahoo dot com

Belinda said...

I would like to win.
Thanks!
1bmore @ gmail . com

Unknown said...

I would like to win this book. I'm very interested in our ancesters.
Thanks for the giveaway.

shirtdog AT gmail DOT com

Sammie said...

Please include me into your book drawing. My mother would love this book.

SamantharaeM at GMAIL dot COM

Sammie said...

I am also a google reader/follower.

SamantharaeM at GMAIL dot COM

Bridget said...

No need to enter me; just posted on Win A Book.

Pam said...

This isn't a typicle genre choice for me but I've heard good things about the book and I'm intrigued and interested in learning more about "the link".

melacan at hotmail dot com

Bcteagirl said...

I would love a chance to read this and pass it on to my family.. this sounds so cool! (ok fine, so I am a geek.. I have learned to accept that... deep breath...)

Bcteagirl said...

Shoot I forgot my email, here it is:
teagirl1 at telus dot net.

thanks!

Unknown said...

Looks like a good read, please enter me into this drawing.

Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Please enter me. Thanks!

tiffanyak1986(at)hotmail(dot)com

Katrina said...

Please enter me, thanks!

ykatrina at hotmail dot com

A Reader said...

Please enter me.
Thanks for the giveaway!
kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

A Reader said...

Blogged about the giveaway in my blog (see my blog).

http://metroreader.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the giveaway!
kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

Nicole C. said...

I would love to win!

choateorama(at)gmail(dot)com

Icedream said...

I would love to enter this giveaway. I have been reading nothing but great reviews.
Thanks for the chance.

waitmantwillie AT hotmail DOT com

Icedream said...

I subscribe to your blog on google reader.

waitmantwillie AT hotmail DOT com

Lisa N. said...

This sounds like an interesting book! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.

rocket_kay at hotmail dot com

Ellie Wright said...

Sounds like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me.
eswright18 at gmail dot com

A Reader said...

Subscriber through google (liane66@gmail.com)

Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

heatherzilla said...

Sounds like a good book. Please include me in the giveaway. heatherzilla AT care2 DOT com

Fokxxy said...

I would love to be entered please.

ssummmer(at)gmail(dot)com

Fokxxy said...

I am a follower of your blog.

ssummmer(at)gmail(dot)com

LittleEagle said...

I would like to win this book. sharonaquilino(at)hotmail(dot)com

Sammie said...

I would like to win this book for myself.

SamantharaeM at gmail dot com

Sammie said...

I am a subscriber via google reader.

SamantharaeM at gmail dot com

budletsmom said...

I would love to win this book.

budletsmom(at)yahoo(dot)com

budletsmom said...

I am a subscriber.

budletsmom(at)yahoo(dot)com