Re: New Savanna Man from China 2 mya

Marc Verhaegen <m_verhaegen@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Lepus Capensis - Cape hare. Let's see what the Kingdon field guide to
African mammals says about the habitat of this taxon: "Prefers
completely open grasslands, steppes and subdesert." And the National
Audubon Society field guide to African wildlife: Dry open savannas and
deserts; sometimes moist savannas; never forests."
So, what was Lepus capensis doing at NK3?

What were catfish doing in the dry savanna?

In fact, they are quite well represented whenever there is standing or
flowing water, either permanent or temporary. A drying pool with
squirming catfish in the dry season is not unusual.

But that's not the point. How does a species like Lepus capensis, that
is normally found in open dry savanna, end up in a marsh.

Well, how does it end up there? No herbs near swamps IYO??

Near the swamp ok, but then how does it end up IN the swamp.

NK3 is part of the Natoo Member in the Turkana basin. A list of
mammals from this member is as follows (table 5.1 in the Walker and
Leakey monograph):
Hystrix sp. Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Theropithecus oswaldi Pelorovis turkanensis
Cercocebus/Colobus sp. Pelorovis sp. nov.
Homo erectus Hippotragus gigas
Canis cf. C. mesomelas Kobus sigmoidalis
Carnivora indet. Kobus kob
Hipparion cf. H. ethiopicum Menelikia lyrocera
Equus cf. E. grevyi Reduncini (medium)
Equus cf. E. burchelli Reduncini (small)
Equidae gen indet. Megalotragus sp.
Rhinocerotidae gen. indet. Connochaetes sp.
Kolpochoerus limnetes Damaliscus sp.
Metridiochoerus compactus Alcelaphini (medium)
Met. hopwoodi (?) Alcelaphini (small)
Hexaprotodon karumensis Aepyceros melampus
Hippopotamus gorgops Gazella janenschi
H. aethiopicum Gazella praethompsoni
Sivatherium maurusium Gazella sp.
Giraffa sp. Caprini gen. indet.

Notice anything?

That the Boy lay in the wider paleo-env., but in the marsh, amid reeds &
catfish.

Look at the list. What does it tell you about the ecological diversity
of the taxa?

Swamp swamp swamp swamp

You're like the man doing a Rorschach test and in every blotch sees a
naked woman.

My boy, does the evidence say "swamp swamp swamp" or "savanna savanna
savanna"?
Taxa Lifestyle and habitat
Pila ovata Air-breathing, shallow-water swamp snail
Claria sp. Shallow-water catfish
Clarotes sp. Catfish
Hydrocynus sp. Shallow- to deep-water fish predator
Synodontis sp. Shallow-water spiny catfish
Varanus niloticus Scavenging and often aquatic lizard
Trionyx sp. Soft-shelled freshwater turtle
Pelomedusidae spp. Smooth-shelled water tortoise
Metridiochoerus sp. Grazing pig
Hippopotamus aethiopicus Aquatic herbivore
Hippopotamus gorgops Aquatic herbivore
Bovidae spp. (duiker- to buffalo-sized) Grazing and browsing herbivores
Lepus capensis Grass and herb feeder

And back to square one, the narrow focus on depositional environment.
And that still requires an explanation of the presence of an open
savanna taxon like Lepus capensis.
However, looking beyond the depositional environment through the taxon
list of the Natoo Member one notices a variety of ecological guilds,
indicating a rather varied environment.

Seasonal is well possible, I have no idea, but the Boy was there when the
marsh was there, in agreement with the comparative data.

The morphology of Homo erectus is unique and in that combination has
no equivalent in any (semi)aquatic taxon.

No, no: analyse, divide it into more elementary units.

Yeah, like a sliding tile puzzle and then move the pieces where you
like 'em and forget about the integrated nature of the organism.
In that case you can pick whatever suite of comparative taxa and
characters you need and amalgamate it into a chimera. That's
comparative evidence a la Verhaegen.

My little boy (you're becoming more & more childish), never heard of
genetics? Crossing over? Genes? Recombination??

An appeal to the molecular level does not help your case as there is
quite some distance between genetics and the way natural selection
acts on populations through the environment.

Tell me, where's the shoreline that connects Koobi Fora to Dmanisi?

Well?

Gerrit
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Handbook of Paleoanthropology :-)
    ... That swamp creatures have flat feet and are not obligate bipedalists. ... Just as the savanna hypothesis predicts. ... Liar. ... Thanks, chimps mostly in rain forests, proving small brain = wet ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: New Savanna Man from China 2 mya
    ... Pila ovata Air-breathing, shallow-water swamp snail ... Shallow-water catfish ... savanna taxon like Lepus capensis. ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: New Savanna Man from China 2 mya
    ... African mammals says about the habitat of this taxon: ... What were catfish doing in the dry savanna? ... is normally found in open dry savanna, ... Near the swamp ok, but then how does it end up IN the swamp. ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • savanna thinking (Re: H.erectus found in coastal swamp
    ... Somebody here said there were no savanna believers any more... ... No, no, "the conventional wisdom" says "neither this swamp, nor ... wetlands dried out enough to create habitats likely to attract hominid ... have to dry out before they can attract hominid groups... ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: Recommended Spraying Conditions
    ... believe that the low-altitude areas of Arizona were ever intended to ... be inhabited by humans. ... so one could say the same about Our Nation's First Swamp.) ... 110+ is hot no matter how dry it is. ...
    (rec.autos.tech)