wot timing....So Much for the Hunter/gatherer Theory

[Guest guest]

and wot appears in my inbox this morning?

 

So Much for the Hunter/gatherer Theory

by Neil Schoenherr

 

The idea of early man as a carnivorous hunter doesn't jibe with evidence

You wouldn't know it by current world events, but humans actually evolved to be

peaceful, cooperative and social animals, not the predators modern mythology

would have us believe, says an anthropologist at Washington University in St.

Louis.

 

Robert W. Sussman, Ph.D., professor anthropology in Arts & Sciences, spoke at a

press briefing, " Early Humans on the Menu, " during the American Association for

the Advancement of the Science's Annual Meeting at 2 p.m. on Feb. 18.

 

Also scheduled to speak at the briefing were Karen Strier, University of

Wisconsin; Agustin Fuentes, University of Notre Dame; Douglas Fry, Abo Akademi

University in Helsinki and University of Arizona; and James Rilling, Emory

University.

 

Story continues below ↓

 

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In his latest book, " Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators and Human Evolution, "

Sussman goes against the prevailing view and argues that primates, including

early humans, evolved not as hunters but as prey of many predators, including

wild dogs and cats, hyenas, eagles and crocodiles.

Despite popular theories posed in research papers and popular literature, early

man was not an aggressive killer, Sussman argues. He poses a new theory, based

on the fossil record and living primate species, that primates have been prey

for millions of years, a fact that greatly influenced the evolution of early

man.

 

" Our intelligence, cooperation and many other features we have as modern humans

developed from our attempts to out-smart the predator, " says Sussman.

 

Since the 1924 discovery of the first early humans, australopithicenes, which

lived from seven million years ago to two million years ago, many scientists

theorized that those early human ancestors were hunters and possessed a killer

instinct.

 

The idea of " Man the Hunter " is the generally accepted paradigm of human

evolution, says Sussman, " It developed from a basic Judeo-Christian ideology of

man being inherently evil, aggressive and a natural killer. In fact, when you

really examine the fossil and living non-human primate evidence, that is just

not the case. "

 

Sussman's research is based on studying the fossil evidence dating back nearly

seven million years. " Most theories on Man the Hunter fail to incorporate this

key fossil evidence, " Sussman says. " We wanted evidence, not just theory. We

thoroughly examined literature available on the skulls, bones, footprints and on

environmental evidence, both of our hominid ancestors and the predators that

coexisted with them. "

 

Since the process of human evolution is so long and varied, Sussman and his

co-author, Donna L. Hart, decided to focus their research on one specific

species, Australopithecus afarensis, which lived between five million and two

and a half million years ago and is one of the better known early human species.

Most paleontologists agree that Australopithecus afarensis is the common link

between fossils that came before and those that came after. It shares dental,

cranial and skeletal traits with both. It's also a very well-represented species

in the fossil record.

 

" Australopithecus afarensis was probably quite strong, like a small ape, "

Sussman says. Adults ranged from around 3 to 5 feet and they weighed 60-100

pounds. They were basically smallish bipedal primates. Their teeth were

relatively small, very much like modern humans, and they were fruit and nut

eaters.

 

But what Sussman and Hart discovered is that Australopithecus afarensis was not

dentally pre-adapted to eat meat. " It didn't have the sharp shearing blades

necessary to retain and cut such foods, " Sussman says. " These early humans

simply couldn't eat meat. If they couldn't eat meat, why would they hunt? "

 

It was not possible for early humans to consume a large amount of meat until

fire was controlled and cooking was possible. Sussman points out that the first

tools didn't appear until two million years ago. And there wasn't good evidence

of fire until after 800,000 years ago. " In fact, some archaeologists and

paleontologists don't think we had a modern, systematic method of hunting until

as recently as 60,000 years ago, " he says.

 

" Furthermore, Australopithecus afarensis was an edge species, " adds Sussman.

They could live in the trees and on the ground and could take advantage of both.

" Primates that are edge species, even today, are basically prey species, not

predators, " Sussman argues.

 

The predators living at the same time as Australopithecus afarensis were huge

and there were 10 times as many as today. There were hyenas as big as bears, as

well as saber-toothed cats and many other mega-sized carnivores, reptiles and

raptors. Australopithecus afarensis didn't have tools, didn't have big teeth and

was three feet tall. He was using his brain, his agility and his social skills

to get away from these predators. " He wasn't hunting them, " says Sussman. " He

was avoiding them at all costs. "

 

Approximately 6 percent to 10 percent of early humans were preyed upon according

to evidence that includes teeth marks on bones, talon marks on skulls and holes

in a fossil cranium into which sabertooth cat fangs fit, says Sussman. The

predation rate on savannah antelope and certain ground-living monkeys today is

around 6 percent to 10 percent as well.

 

Sussman and Hart provide evidence that many of our modern human traits,

including those of cooperation and socialization, developed as a result of being

a prey species and the early human's ability to out-smart the predators. These

traits did not result from trying to hunt for prey or kill our competitors, says

Sussman.

 

" One of the main defenses against predators by animals without physical defenses

is living in groups, " says Sussman. " In fact, all diurnal primates (those active

during the day) live in permanent social groups. Most ecologists agree that

predation pressure is one of the major adaptive reasons for this group-living.

In this way there are more eyes and ears to locate the predators and more

individuals to mob them if attacked or to confuse them by scattering. There are

a number of reasons that living in groups is beneficial for animals that

otherwise would be very prone to being preyed upon. "

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hi fraggle,

 

I heard on the radio, probably on npr,

about how this has been the bloodiest century ever.

I'ts disapointing, to know that human concisciousness

is not improving. One major factor in what is making us sick

and toxic, is the removal of natural spaces..

 

I really miss sitting around, not aware that I am naked eating

berries and picking lice off my friends in a cave and climbing trees

using my pinkies that are no longer there and just grunting.

 

 

 

, fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:

>

> and wot appears in my inbox this morning?

>

> So Much for the Hunter/gatherer Theory

> by Neil Schoenherr

>

> The idea of early man as a carnivorous hunter doesn't jibe with

evidence

> You wouldn't know it by current world events, but humans actually

evolved to be peaceful, cooperative and social animals, not the

predators modern mythology would have us believe, says an

anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis.

>