Re: poor runners (Re: Is Oreopithicus the Aquatic Ape Link?

From: Marc Verhaegen (fa204466_at_skynet.be)
Date: 03/03/05 

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 00:20:14 +0100

"Marc Verhaegen" <fa204466@skynet.be> wrote in message
news:422503f8$0$20675$ba620e4c@news.skynet.be...

Some comments & corrections:

> Diving requires a streamlined body at that moment. Wading probably
> requires long limbs without BKBH.

Apiths & apes have/had more BHBK than Homo, but much less than indris or
frogs.

> - Running also (to a lesser degree than wading?) requires long limbs.
> IOW, AFAICS, our long legs can only be explained by wading, running, or a
> special swimming-style (frogs, but have BKBH in rest). So far, I see no
> way to discern wading from running.

Just saw & website on beach birds: they don't have much webbing, nor toes of
subequal lengtth, they have divergent toes (3 much longer than 2 & 4). IOW,
our human feet (very long metatarsals & large common integumentum, very
short toes, etc.) are not for running (in that case, digitigrady would be
better), not even for beach-combing (see the Am.oyster-catchers), & possibly
not even for wading at the beach: they're probably better for swimming, or
for a mixture of locomotions.

> - our straight body can only be explained by diving (or by digging, see
> snakes & moles). AFAICS, I see no other possibility. All this is not
> unexpected, of course: after all H.ergaster-erectus did wander along the
> coasts of the Old World, so why would their locomotion not have included
> diving for shellfish?

Of course: why else would a hominoid be able to dive several metres & to
stay a few minutes underwater?

Marc Verhaegen

http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~mvaneech/Verhaegen.html

http://www.onelist.com/community/AAT

AAT = Homo diaspora along African coasts Indian Ocean

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