Re: Relative strengths of apes and humans

On Apr 11, 7:38 am, "Entertained by my own EIMC"
<write_to_e...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"Anthony Campbell" <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:ev3d6c$vp$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



In a BBC TV documentary yesterday about orang-utans it was said that
these apes are seven times as strong as humans. I have seen similar
claims made for chimpanzees, though I think usually 3 or 4 times as
strong rather than 7 times.

Some questions occur to me:

1. Is it true that strength differences of even approximately this
magnitude exists between humans and other anthropoids? Apparently the
Bronx Zoo did a comparison in 1924
(http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/10/12/083715.php) but is there any
other evidence?

2. If it is true, what is the physiological difference in the muscles?

3. If it is true, why have we become so much weaker? It would surely
have been a disadvantage during most of the last 5 million years.

Just some general comments:

I believe that, to the extent they are stronger, the greatest difference
would be in the arms and grip strength because chimps are far closer to
having a tree-climbing/swinging lifestyle than we do.

Furthermore, to try to be realistic, how much stronger can we expect a
chimpanzee to be compared to a human weightlifter capable of using his hands
to heave up and hold ~260 kilos on straight arms, overhead?!

Yes, we humans tend be fat and inactive. How would a chimp compare
with a gymnast ?( http://www.flik-flak.nl/Yurivangelder20050315.html )
or some other human wich get the same type of exercise?


.

Relevant Pages

  • I wonder how they would score on an IQ test?
    ... YOUNG CHIMPS TOP ADULT HUMANS IN NUMERICAL MEMORY ... Young chimpanzees have an ~Sextraordinary~T ability to remember numerals ...
    (sci.research.careers)
  • Re: complex specified information
    ... And even though humans are closest to chimpanzees in DNA sequencing, ... other words, progeny resemble their parents. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: complex specified information
    ... And even though humans are closest to chimpanzees in DNA sequencing, ... I'm pretty sure the Bible makes no mention of chimps or bonobos, ... less that it refers to a collective for living things - much much less ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Chimpanzee Growth Study Suggests Chimps Have More In Common With Erectus
    ... > Growth study of wild chimpanzees challenges assumptions about early ... > developmentally with Homo erectus and that modern humans are the ... > The study was coauthored by Adrienne Zihlman, professor of anthropology ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)
  • AAH based on anecdotal nonsense
    ... >> Considering that humans have a rather better ... >> are fatter than chimpanzees (evidence, ... >> water is rather massive. ...
    (sci.anthropology.paleo)