The fuss over IDA may be over but another early fossil jaw has turned up in Asia that suggests the line of evolution leading to hominids and monkeys came from there. Of course there is disagreement: - http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/701/1 - And related to the book "Rare Earth" and the CO2 cycle mentioned there, is a discussion of a new study of plants and CO2 levels. This is certainly also related to the "Global Warming Debate" of current times, The greenhouse gas effect has allowed evolution and life to progress, and the CO2 variation in the past have been enormous: - http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17404-plant-life-saved-earth-from-an-icy-fate.html