Exploitation d¹un grand cé tacé au Paléolithique ancien (Re: <geen onderwerp>


Hi Everyone
I have been surfing and found a blog on the Aquatic Ape theory, but
the person who has spoken out about it, is being attacked by those who
don't like AAT.
So i don't know if anyone here wants to help him out, if not i will
have a go.
http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/05/01/the-aquatic-ape-hypothesis/
William

Thanks a lot, William.
I just sent them this (I hope they¹ll approve it):
Somebody wants to defend AAT on the basis of:
1. Humans have subcutaneous fat, other primates don¹t. Other aquatic mammals
do. The fat serves as insulation.
2. Humans have almost no fur, other primates do. Other aquatic mammals
don¹t. Fur creates drag in the water.
3. Humans are bipedal. Walking upright keeps the head out of the water,
allowing breathing.
These 3 arguments can easily be dismissed:
1. Sea otters have no SC fat.
2. They have an extremely dense fur.
3. They¹re not bipedal.
And these arguments can be repeated for a lot of other (semi)aquatic
mammals.
The point is: most features that discern humans from chimps are *in
different combinations* typically seen in waterside mammals that spend a lot
of their time in the water: large brain, high sodium, iodine, DHA & water
needs, head & spine & legs on 1 line, dexterity & stone use, external nose
etc.
Another point is: all H.erectus fossils apparently lay next to shellfish.
It¹s obvious that H.erectus did not disperse on ³Savannahstan² to other
continents as some PAs postulate, but along the coasts & from there inland
along rivers & lakes. The Mojokerto skull 1.8 Ma lay in marine sediments in
a river delta, the Dmanisi population 1.8 Ma lived next to abundant
lacustrine resources etc. Why would a dextrous intelligent tool-using
thick-enameled omnivorous ape not have collected part of his foods from the
water, esp.cray- & shellfish??
Many people discussing AAT still think AAT is about australopithecines or
human ancestors millions or years ago, but this only shows how uninformed
they are.
I suggest that people trying to discuss AAT should first inform properly,
eg, P.Tobias
http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~mvaneech/outthere.htm
http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~mvaneech/Symposium.html
http://users.ugent.be/%7Emvaneech/Verhaegen et al. 2007. Econiche of Homo.pdf
http://users.ugent.be/%7Emvaneech/Verhaegen&; Munro. New directions in
palaeoanthropology.pdf
or google ³aquarboreal²

In any case, it's likely IMO that our semi-aquatic phase was once rather
profound (otherwise we wouldn't be able to dive 50 metres deep & more than 5
minutes), but also that it didn't last very long (otherwise we hadn't
returned so completely to the land) & that it didn't happen millions of
years ago (otherwise we hadn't preserved so many (semi)aquatic features).

I guess it happened at some time during the Pleistocene when our ancestral
Homo population spread along the coasts (so-called "Out of Africa 1"?),
possibly somewhere around the Indian Ocean & not unlikely on offshore
islands (SE.Asia? Flores? Danakil? Andamans? ...).

During the Ice Ages, sea levels were lower, there must have been large areas
on the continental shelves where cray- & shellfish were abundant. These
foods have lots of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (DHA etc.) that are
essential to brain growth, and that were easily procurable by tool-using &
thick-enameled omnivore.

No wonder this phase (100 m below sea level now?) didn't leave many traces
in the fossil & archaeol.record.

And no wonder their descendants trekked into the continents along the rivers
where their diet included cattails (traces on neandertal tools) & where they
caught small & large prey in shallow waters & butchered stranded whales &
other sea mammals, eg,
- M.Gutierrez cs 2001 "Exploitation d¹un grand cétacé au Paléolithique
ancien: le site de Dungo V à Baia Farta (Benguela, Angola)" Comptes Rendues
CRAS 332:357-362,
- CB Stringer cs 2008 "Neanderthal exploitation of marine mammals in
Gibraltar" PNAS 22.9.08.

____


Some Savanna Fool thought he should "answer":
We know that your theory of AAT only has to do with humans ...

??
Why don't these fools inform??
Are they too stupid to *read*??
Don't they know the difference between H.erectus & H.sapiens??

.

Relevant Pages


  • ... Somebody wants to defend AAT on the basis of: ... Other aquatic mammals ... Humans have almost no fur, ... Fur creates drag in the water. ...
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