Re: Human brain on an evolutionary sprint!

From: Val Lentz (vlentz_at_shaw.ca)
Date: 01/29/05 

Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 02:17:20 GMT

"Paul Crowley" <slkwuoiutiuytciuyik@slkjlskjoioue.com> wrote in message
news:t9mKd.46474$Z14.28955@news.indigo.ie...
> "Jim McGinn" <jimmcginn@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1106859376.980573.51860@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>
[snip]
> > I think you are missing Val's point that in the context
> > of constant competition from many other species
>
> WHAT other species?
>
> > the
> > large groups that we are theorizing would not be
> > sustainable. Unless they were able to deal with this
> > competition it's inconcievable that large groups could
> > emerge.
>
> Their competitors were chimps and
> baboons. They could cope with those
> (in certain territories -- but certainly not
> in the continent-wide forests.)
>
> > Any and all that ate the same things that they ate.
>
> The principal ones are chimps and baboons.
> We are only talking about those that can get
> up into trees to eat fruit, nuts, buds, certain
> leaves . . . eggs, honey, termites . . . and
> some roots.
>
> > > > More specifically, how can large hominid groups
> > > > have persisted at their, what you describe as,
> > > > ". . . particularly safe (and fertile) sites,"
> > > > when faced with constant competition from the
> > > > relatively aggressive food competitors of late
> > > > miocene Africa?
> > >
> > > What species? We are talking here
> > > about chimp food plus baboon food.
> >
> > (See above.)
>
> For the non-existent list?
>
> > > What species? I can't conceive of any.
> > > The patrolling I envisage is against
> > > predators.
> >
> > Any and all browsing and grazing species whose food
> > choices overlap those of chimps
>
> Only primates get up into trees. Some
> small monkeys might be a problem too.
> But hardly a major one.
>
>
> Paul/

*What* time period are you talking about???? 6 mya the only baboon types
were the size of a gorilla... The baboons as we know them didn't come into
existance until about 4 mya.

How about all fruit/leaf eaters for competition? There were at least 5
colobine types, at least 5 guenon types, at least 5 macaque types, with
several species each, at least 3(?) chimp types (including our ancestors)
and the gorilla type(s?), and thats just the monkeys and apes. There's bats
(at least 3 types), and birds (scores) and sloths (at least 3 types) and a
host of prosimian types and insects (galore) for more.... That covers the
trees, the trunks, the ground and the swamp, where-ever they went they would
have competition for the food they wanted.

Think of the environment of the time; there were many more species around
then that are extinct now....

The list of predators is humungus... :)

Val

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