Re: Stonethrowing theory has a competitor/rival theory of Running by Lieberman & Bramble

From: Archimedes Plutonium (a_plutonium_at_iw.net)
Date: 11/20/04 

Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2004 01:16:09 -0600

Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:27:24 -0600 Archimedes Plutonium wrote:

> --- quoting Reuters in full because I need to debate line for line ---
> Humans Were Born to Run, Scientists Say
>
> Wed Nov 17, 4:05 PM ET
>
> Science - Reuters
>

(huge snip)

>
>
> "We are very confident that strong selection
> for running -- which came at the expense of
> the historical ability to live in trees --
> was instrumental in the origin of the modern human
> body form," Bramble said in a statement.

When scientists are faced with 2 competing theories such as Stonethrowing
versus Running, it is usually easy to spot the true theory in that the true
theory is larger than its weaker rival. It is larger and more incompassing
and more logical and complete. What I mean by this is that Stonethrowing
can create bipedalism from out of quadraped and once Throwing creates
bipedalism then Running would be an enhancement or byproduct of both
Throwing and bipedalism.

Obviously, without laughter, you cannot create bipedalism from running.

But you can create bipedalism from Throwing.

Messr. Lieberman and Bramble talk long on various bone anatomy and
musclature parts that needed changing for a primate to Run. But the
immediate response to such a list of bone and muscle changes is that these
changes are needed also for Throwing efficiency. We need to change the
primate buttock and forearm shortened in order to Throw better.

But where the Lieberman and Bramble theory really falls short is on the
question of bone changes that accelerated that are needed specifically for
Throwing and not Running. The Rotator Cuff need not have changed much at
all if Running were so key. Then there is the Opposable Thumb and the
changes of the hands and fingers to lift rocks and to hold rocks and to
throw rocks. These changes are not needed for running but critical for
throwing.

So how long of a time period would it take to change the Rotator Cuff and
Opposable Thumb and stereoscopic eyesight with the removal of browridges
and the changes in the arm bone length compared to the changes of bones for
Running? I can easily see that one can show the time frame of bone changes
needs a much longer time for Throwing than for Running.

So the wise scientist usually picks the theory that is more encompassing.

Throwing can create a biped out of a quadraped but Running cannot create a
biped. And once Throwing creates a biped then running can enhance both
throwing and bipedalism. But Throwing came first and created running later.

Archimedes Plutonium
www.iw.net/~a_plutonium
whole entire Universe is just one big atom where dots
of the electron-dot-cloud are galaxies

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