grasp on the aquatic hypothesis

> Does Elaine Morgan or Alister Hardy directly say what species they think
went through an aquatic phase? I know there is a several million year fossil
gap, but I'm curious as to which apes may have had the possibility of being
thrust into the aquatic situation. Also, is Australopithecene supposed to be
the direct hominid descendent of the aquatic apes? I've only read Elaine
Morgans "Scars of Evolution", and am currently reading "Survival of the
Fattest". Still trying to get a detailed grasp on the aquatic ape
hypothesis. David B

- Hardy thought the littoral phase happened some 10 or more Ma (in 1960 it
was believed that humans & apes split 10-15 Ma).
- Elaine used to believe it happened +- immediately after the H/P split &
that apiths were post-semi-aquatic.
- Apiths are primitive hominids, no closer to humans than to chimps or
gorillas AFAICS. Our semi-aquatic phase has nothing to do with apiths: they
have no ext.nose, no very long legs, no superb handiness & tool use, no
large brain , no dense bones, no ear exostoses, no loss of curved phalanges,
no dentitional reduction etc. Most if not all of these typically Homo
features (read: semi-aquatic) seem to have started +- 2.5-2 Ma in the fossil
record (which may be incomplete), roughly coinciding with the diaspora of
Homo (which no doubt happened along coasts, rivers & rivers). I guess the
sea level lowerings (ice ages) had something to do with it. Not unlikely
different hominid & perhaps even pongid populations adapted to the tree-poor
"new" territories on the drying continental shelves, they probably got
parallel adaptations (handiness, tool use, larger brain, less climbing
etc.), but only one of these survived.
- Early hominids & pongids (15-5 Ma?) already were aquarboreal (aqua=water,
arbor=tree), ie, lived in flooded/mangrove/swamp forests, where they climbed
arms overhead & swam & waded on 2 & 4 legs in swamps, but at best only
rarely dived.

--Marc


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