Re: Sabretooths

Marc, I know your ideas. I definitely think that AAT is true, only,
I think that it is ancient. The world was full of primates all the way to
Oligocene. Primates climb. Some of them climbed trees, and trees were all
aroud. There were no open environments, no grassland. Just climamble trees,
or some so-called woody savanna, which should be something like bushland
(per my view) in some areas with less water (I guess).
But, open environment idea isn't the main problem with PA views of
today. The MAIN PROBLEM is the role of humans in animal world which ISN'T
determined (by the view of PA) by bipedality, but by human intelligence. Per
that view, human advanced gradually IN ACCORDANCE with the increasing of its
brain. BECAUSE its intelligence increased gradually. This view is in the
center of PA thinking about humans and thier past. The problem is that this
view is false. Humans achieved tremendous things in the last 30ky (extincted
neandertals and erectus I believe), in the very time when their brain
decreased. Furthermore, we achieved fantastic things since Gutenberg, but
not because our brain increased in the last 500 years. It was because of
increased ability of communication.
So, just as recent chimp/human test shows, humans were always as
intelligent as they are today. The increase of brain corellates with the
spread of humans into cold areas, because of the unique thermoregulation
system in humans; and not with the intelligence. This is the main fault in
today's view of human past.
The recent history of Earth (Old World) is characterised by
so-called "arridication", the spread of open ecology. Scientiests know that
this was done by fire. Only, they blame "monsoon climate" and lightning. I
don't think that monsoon climate never before was present on Earth, and
suddenly became present to stay. I mean, there has to be a reason why it
wasn't before, and why suddenly is is permanently present. But, the
emergence of open environment correlates with the emergence of humans.
Humans use fire, and this is their main characteristic. Today's view say
that humans couldn't be intelligent enough to use fire, but this ISN'T true.
They were always intelligent enough to use fire.
Fire. No animal can use fire. Only animals with fingers can use it.
Animals with finger live and feed on trees, this is why they wouldn't use
fire, no way. Fire would destroy their life (living and feeding place). But,
if some primate didn't live AND feed on trees, it would use fire without
problems. Fire can be extremly beneficial for him. Why? Because it gets rid
of everything else except him. It gets rid of environment around him, and
with the environment there go predators, and ambush. If that primate feeds
in water, it is perfectly acceptable to burn everything around, even
desirable. There is NO reason why he wouldn't do this (the lack of
intelligence is just a myth).
This perfectly fits the avaible evidence of past.
There was a view that humans entered open environment from outside,
they went from trees to already avaible grassland. But now we have bipedals
older than that (avaible grassland), and bipedals that lived in closed
environments. My view is that grassland went from humans, grassland started
from humans, towards outside. Starting from humans, some 16Mya, gradually
emerged grassland. On that starting point the whole open ecology gradually
emerged. This ecology was close to water. I believe that grass was at the
water edge (just like it is today). So, from there grass spreaded onto
burned areas around humans. At first this was very impoverished area, and
animal that is adapted to impoverished environment came. Horses. Then grass
really adapted to that open space, and came ungulates. (before that came
ants and anteaters) So first it was impoverished (horses), then rich
grassland and ungulates. The increase in grass led to increase in meat. The
increase in meat attracted predators. Cats are ambush predators, so they
couldn't hunt in the open, but dogs could. Dogs chased prey out in the open.
But prey could escape into water. Cats could hunt there. Cats are good in
water. I think that crocs would have hard time to breed in burned
environment. So, ungulates would be close to water to be safe from dogs, but
not in water, to be safe from cats.
If ungulates are close to water, then they are close to humans. And
they are not enemies, humans are not predators. Humans and cattle lived
together for a long time (per my view). It could even be that humans
protected themselves and cattle with spears. IOW, world back then wasn't
different from the world it is today. There WASN'T gradual increase in
complexity because of gradual increase in human intelligence. I even wonder
what is the potential for agriculture in stone tools. -- Mario Petrinovich


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Sabretooths
    ... in some areas with less water. ... The MAIN PROBLEM is the role of humans in animal world which ISN'T ... emergence of open environment correlates with the emergence of humans. ... Humans use fire, and this is their main characteristic. ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: Sabretooths
    ... correlations with water, trees, varied diet, varied recent evolution etc. ... Fire: I have no idea, but I see no reason to believe that fire use is ... The MAIN PROBLEM is the role of humans in animal world which ISN'T ... emergence of open environment correlates with the emergence of humans. ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: Theology, Philosophy, and Science for a New Millennium
    ... I don't think humans are capable of fully achieving the truth. ... that will gracefully allow the next game to begin. ... There is another fire nearby that was already ...
    (talk.philosophy.humanism)
  • Re: Sabretooths
    ... Some of them climbed trees, ... in some areas with less water. ... The MAIN PROBLEM is the role of humans in animal world which ISN'T ... Humans use fire, and this is their main characteristic. ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • Re: Hominid sense of smell -- Hi, Mario!
    ... should be very common environment back in the past. ... inhabitable for humans. ... >> Then we met fire on a coast with pyrophites (mediterranean plants). ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)