I hadn't heard of the theory, but it makes immediate sense. I've often thought there must have been a lot of water in our past because of the lack of hair and the subcutaneous fat. Long hair on women makes sense in that it floats and a kid can grab it. Same for boobs. How to nurse a baby if your sort of amphibious.
--- hugheshugo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], Angela > Mailander > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Last time I read an animal-language study it was > about > > dolphins and how they'd learned over a hundred or > so > > human words. It was also determined that they > clearly > > have a language and a sense of self. They refer > to > > each other by name, they gossip, and they > recognize > > themselves and each other in mirrors and in > videos. > > What struck me most forcefully in that study was > the > > fact that in all the time the researchers had been > > working with these dolphins, they did not learn a > > single dolphin word, whereas the dolphins learned > > ours. a > > "Man always considered himself smarter than dolphins > because of his > achievements, the wheel, New York, wars and so on, > whereas all > dolphins ever do is splash about in the water having > a good time. > > Dolphins think they are smarter than man for exactly > the same > reasons." > > Douglas Adams. > > Thanks for reminding me. > > Have you ever heard of the aquatic ape theory? It > has long been my > favourite explanation for the differences between us > and other land > animals, bigger brains, descended larynx, waxy ears, > poor sense of > smell, subcetaneous fat, webbed hands (compred to > other apes), > walking upright. It seems to be the only theory that > can account for > all of it easily. And it all needs accounting for. > > Whales and dolphins are descended from dog-like > animals that went > back to the sea around 50 million years ago possibly > due to rising > sea levels or maybe just because they liked it, > we'll never know. The > first thing that happened was that their legs grew > straight out > behind them, they lost body hair and their brains > got much bigger, > this always happens when an animal is forced to > rapidly adapt to a > new environment. They got conscious control of > breathing to help > diving, the added bonus of which is the capability > for more > sophisticated speech.. Eventually they changed to an > aquatic way of > life completely. > > Now, what if that happened to a monkey? We could > expect the same sort > of things to occur, legs growing straight out > behind, webbed hands, > bigger brains, conscious control of breathing (vital > to man that one). > > Then suppose this semi-aquatic creature was suddenly > forced back onto > dry land Seems likely the upright posture due to > legs designed for > swimming could be useful for getting around, the > brain would > obviously grow bigger still and with conscious > control of breathing > you'd have even more complex speech and abstract > thought. > > So maybe we never learned to walk upright, but came > pre-adapted by an > aquatic phase. Any evidence? Well, yes. We evolved > in Africa and the > mediterranean sea apparently regularly flooded where > the early > bipedal remains are found. > > I like the theory as it explains so much without > asking for too many > things to evolve coincidentally. Some biologists > think it's a load of > fanciful rubbish. > > I've really just scratched the surface of the amount > of similarities > between us and other aquatic animals. Here's the > best site I could > find if you're interested. > > http://www.primitivism.com/aquatic-ape.htm > > Elaine Morgans books are better, and not just her > aquatic ape > ones, "The Scars of Evolution" is a great read. > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
