From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Date: Mon Jan 07 2002 - 18:51:34 MST
Crosby_M wrote:
>
> Kathryn suggested I might have
> < created a false dichotomy here. The aquatic theory meshes quite
> nicely with other theories if you establish a chronology that states
> that we started out in the trees, moved to the shoreline, and then to
> the open plains. If we had moved directly from the trees to the
> savannah, the physical changes previously discussed may not have taken
> place.>
>
> You could be right. I don't know enough about the Aquatic Ape theory
> and was even going to suggest some sort of hybrid theory but didn't.
> I was just questioning why the savannah scenario couldn't account for
> *bipedalism*.
>
> Mark
I certainly see a use for bipedalism on the savannah, just look at
meerkats. On flat plains with high grass, the higher you can stand, the
earlier you get a warning of predators. Additionally, the ability to
throw rocks and spears with decent power over decent distance also
mandates an upright, high stance with a hip structure that also is
conducive to bipedalism over quadupedalism. Those who could throw the
spear the hardest and furthest got the best meat, and therefore were the
alpha males that got to reproduce.
This is a fine example of technology effecting evolution. Due to the
computational demands of intuitive trajectory calculation, and the
communication demands of hunting in teams or packs, lager brain cases
were seen as an evolutionary advantage. WHile the analytical abilities
of hunting were amplified in males, the females who had to look after
offspring had to coordinate defenses against predators whil the males
were hunting, so they developed better communication skills.
Want to prove this is so? Try to teach a chimp to throw a 90 mph
fastball on a major league field in the strikezone. It'll never happen.
He doesn't have the hips for the job.
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#!/usr/local/bin/perl-0777---export-a-crypto-system-sig-RC4-3-lines-PERL
@k=unpack('C*',pack('H*',shift));for(@t=@s=0..255){$y=($k[$_%@k]+$s[$x=$_
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