• WHAT talk 9.1.23 Bert Chan

    From littoral.homo@gmail.com@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jan 10 11:08:07 2023
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIOMBSBfc0
    I just saw the video: beautiful, very interesting, thanks a lot, Bert & Algis!

    Paleo-Anthropology is not only stagnating as Bert says: IMO it's no serious science:
    its methods are excellent I'd think (age determinations, DNA, images, scans, isotopes etc.),
    but the usual PA *interpretations* are unscientific prejudices: they believe:
    - "we evolved in Africa, because gorillas & chimps live there" (afrocentrism), - "apiths are human ancestors ("hominins"), because they're BP" (anthropocentrism),
    - "we lived in savanna, because QP apes live in forests, and BP humans outside forests" (afro+anthropocentrism).

    Not only Pliocene "hominins", but Miocene Hominoidea were already BP, not for running, but for wading-climbing: google "aquarboreal":
    they initially lived in swamp (coastal?) forests, wading upright & climbing arms overhead in the branches above the swamp.
    And we did not evolve in Africa: these early Hominoidea lived in S-Asia, and hylobatids & pongids still live there (SE.Asia).
    Most likely, late-Miocene Homo-Pan lived in the Red Sea coastal forests, i.e. between Africa & Arabia late-Miocene,
    but after c 5 Ma (Red Sea opening into the Gulf = 5.3 Ma?), Pliocene Pan followed the E.Afr.coastal forests, Homo followed the S.Asian coasts.
    I've discussed this more fully in my new book "De evolutie van de Mens" pp.299-300 (both Bert & Algis are mentioned in my book :-)).

    There are 100s of "hominin" fossils in Afrika, traditional PA believes, and all are relatives of only 1 (us) of the 5 extant hominid spp:
    bonobos, common chimps, lowland & highland gorillas have virtually 0 fossils, they think.
    This is anthropocentric fantasy, of course, statistically impossible & scientifically wrong!
    Yes, australopiths were "BP": all apes had BP=aquarboreal ancestors, but this doesn't make apiths closer relatives of us than of the Afr.apes!

    Detailed comparisons (descriptions as well as cranio-dental measurements) show that
    - E.Afr.apiths (Lucy etc.) were relatives of Gorilla, not of Homo-Pan,
    - S.Afr.apiths (Taung, Mrs Ples etc.) were closer relatives of Pan than of Homo.
    E & S.afr.apiths apparently evolved in //, from late-Miocene "graciles" to early-Pleist."robusts":
    e.g. afarensis-->boisei // africanus-->robustus.
    Such parallel & covergent evolutions are apparently too difficult for traditional PAs
    (many possibly still don't believe that knuckle-walking evolved in parallel in Gorilla // Pan).

    Human Pliocene evolution had nothing to do with Africa: Homo simply followed the S.Asian coasts.
    What is certain: H.erectus c 2 Ma at Java was pachyosteosclerotic (POS),
    and POS is *only* seen in slow+shallow-diving tetrapods: H.erectus were real aq.apes!
    H.erectus probably ate a lot of shellfish: shell engravings (google "Joordens Munro"), stone tools, larger brain etc.

    IOW, traditional PA is still very unscientific in several ways:
    - apiths=Afr.apes=aquarboreal, not savanna!
    - H.erectus=diver, SE.Asia, no Afr.runner!
    - even H.neand. was still semi-aquatic (POS He>Hn>Hs): seasonally following the river inland?

    PAs that still believe in ridiculous slogans like "H.erectus = running" & "apiths = hominin" will not readily accept AAT, I'm afraid...

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  • From JTEM is so reasonable@21:1/5 to littor...@gmail.com on Tue Jan 10 14:30:30 2023
    littor...@gmail.com wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIOMBSBfc0
    I just saw the video: beautiful, very interesting, thanks a lot, Bert & Algis!

    I hate to criticize but it wasn't my favorite.

    He concludes, for example, a more recent Aquatic Ape ancestor, does he
    not? I think the ball got rolling *Way* early. That, it's what gave rise to the "Great Apes" in the first place.

    He also talked about endure running. Yes humans are capable of this, we
    are capable of climbing trees, swimming and there was an actual woman, mentioned on the Ted Talks, who could achieve orgasm by brushing her
    teeth.

    Honestly? I can't recall the last time I walked down the street and saw
    anyone climbing trees. It may of happened. If it did it was a child, maybe
    a teen, but it's not something that's "Normal."

    And I've never seen tooth-brushing porn either. So I'm guessing that is
    the exception, not the rule, as well.

    Persistence hunting? Definitely the exception. Absolutely positively NOT
    the rule amongst human hunters.

    I think what we have here, in the case of things like tree climbing and endurance running, are duel concepts. One is that of the "Emergent
    Trait." In this case, meaning things like running weren't selected for but
    it was an ability that just sort of "Emerged" from walking... perhaps
    even swimming (kicking in the water).

    The other concept is "Vestigial Traits." In nature, sometimes, traits go
    away pretty quickly when they are no longer needed. I guess those
    genes are something less than "Dominant." But on all other cases you
    really need some selective pressure AGAINST a deep rooted trait
    before it vanishes.

    Sort of a biological "Law of Conservation" I guess... why change when
    there's no good reason to bother.

    Lucy displays what we like to think of as some Aquatic Ape traits
    because that's what she's descended from. Giant sauropod dinosaurs
    do have skeletons that appear to be somewhat optimized for
    occasional bipedalism, maybe rearing up, BECAUSE they are descended
    from much smaller, bipedal dinosaurs.

    And, of course, I've long since cast my doubt on Aquatic Ape being
    anything but casually (indirectly) related to the evolution of our genitals.

    Aquatic Ape is what produced all these widely dispersed, DIFFERENT
    groups of Homo. And this resulted in cultural differences, including
    different sexual/reproductive strategies. Some were sexually selected,
    some were not. The more heavily sexually selected, the more selective
    pressure on penis size... the more sperm competition between males,
    the larger the testicles. Well humans have larger penises, even humans considered "Small" would be admired & envied by the average gorilla,
    but our testicles are very middle of the road.

    Even so, there's HUGE variation in so called "Modern" human men, both
    in penis and testicle size. I've actually seen guys with massive orbs
    resting beneath a flesh-toned string bean. So the same guy, two extremes.

    To me this can only mean modern humans result from MULTIPLE
    sexual/reproductive strategies. Not that our willies got long because of
    the water.

    Dude, boi parts SHRINK in the water!

    "I've been swimming" is the biggest excuse for a turtle dick...






    -- --

    https://jtem.tumblr.com/tagged/Conceal%20carry

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  • From littoral.homo@gmail.com@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jan 10 15:08:20 2023
    Yes, of course, some Hs can persistence-hunt, but with weapons, water-bags etc., IOW, only Holocene or so:
    only *incredible idiots* believe H.erectus (POS, broad body, short tibias, flat feet etc.etc.) ran after antelopes!! :-DDDDD

    Lucy was a Pliocene relative of Gorilla, very likely still aquarboreal.

    I just saw again the Sir David's beautiful video of diving crab-eating macaques https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beEAKVZsJe8
    Amazing, and at first sight, Macaca fascicularis has no "aquatic" adaptations: this suggests that H.erectus c 2 Ma (POS, brain x2, platycephaly, platypelloidy etc.etc.) was *very* much adapted to frequent diving.

    _____


    Op dinsdag 10 januari 2023 om 23:30:32 UTC+1 schreef JTEM is so reasonable:
    littor...@gmail.com wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIOMBSBfc0
    I just saw the video: beautiful, very interesting, thanks a lot, Bert & Algis!
    I hate to criticize but it wasn't my favorite.

    He concludes, for example, a more recent Aquatic Ape ancestor, does he
    not? I think the ball got rolling *Way* early. That, it's what gave rise to the
    "Great Apes" in the first place.

    He also talked about endure running. Yes humans are capable of this, we
    are capable of climbing trees, swimming and there was an actual woman, mentioned on the Ted Talks, who could achieve orgasm by brushing her
    teeth.

    Honestly? I can't recall the last time I walked down the street and saw anyone climbing trees. It may of happened. If it did it was a child, maybe
    a teen, but it's not something that's "Normal."

    And I've never seen tooth-brushing porn either. So I'm guessing that is
    the exception, not the rule, as well.

    Persistence hunting? Definitely the exception. Absolutely positively NOT
    the rule amongst human hunters.

    I think what we have here, in the case of things like tree climbing and endurance running, are duel concepts. One is that of the "Emergent
    Trait." In this case, meaning things like running weren't selected for but
    it was an ability that just sort of "Emerged" from walking... perhaps
    even swimming (kicking in the water).

    The other concept is "Vestigial Traits." In nature, sometimes, traits go
    away pretty quickly when they are no longer needed. I guess those
    genes are something less than "Dominant." But on all other cases you
    really need some selective pressure AGAINST a deep rooted trait
    before it vanishes.

    Sort of a biological "Law of Conservation" I guess... why change when
    there's no good reason to bother.

    Lucy displays what we like to think of as some Aquatic Ape traits
    because that's what she's descended from. Giant sauropod dinosaurs
    do have skeletons that appear to be somewhat optimized for
    occasional bipedalism, maybe rearing up, BECAUSE they are descended
    from much smaller, bipedal dinosaurs.

    And, of course, I've long since cast my doubt on Aquatic Ape being
    anything but casually (indirectly) related to the evolution of our genitals.

    Aquatic Ape is what produced all these widely dispersed, DIFFERENT
    groups of Homo. And this resulted in cultural differences, including different sexual/reproductive strategies. Some were sexually selected,
    some were not. The more heavily sexually selected, the more selective pressure on penis size... the more sperm competition between males,
    the larger the testicles. Well humans have larger penises, even humans considered "Small" would be admired & envied by the average gorilla,
    but our testicles are very middle of the road.

    Even so, there's HUGE variation in so called "Modern" human men, both
    in penis and testicle size. I've actually seen guys with massive orbs
    resting beneath a flesh-toned string bean. So the same guy, two extremes.

    To me this can only mean modern humans result from MULTIPLE sexual/reproductive strategies. Not that our willies got long because of
    the water.

    Dude, boi parts SHRINK in the water!

    "I've been swimming" is the biggest excuse for a turtle dick...

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)