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Why the Savannah hypothesis is a joke

Discussion in 'Factor X' started by Jack Kruse, Jun 17, 2014.

  1. Jack Kruse

    Jack Kruse Administrator

    One of the justifications for the savanna hypothesis was that hominins developed upright stance because of the need to see over the tall grasses to throw spears at animals. But this does not bear scrutiny. First, if hominins were making spears, they already had highly evolved brains. Second, one does not hunt animals by standing upright and declaring one’s presence, but instead one crawls like the big cats. Darwin comments on the Aborigines’“usual manner of crawling after wild animals” and their ability to conceal themselves on almost bare ground. Another idea proposed as favoring hominin evolution on the savannas is that food could be acquired by “endurance running” to find carcasses (Bramble and Lieberman, 2004). This idea, although published in Nature, seems quite naïve. Dogs can outrun humans. They have an acute sense of smell that can detect a dead animal at long distances. Humans have a poorly developed sense of smell. Vultures can see dead or dying animals from great distances. Both dogs and vultures would beat any endurance running hominin to a carcass even if the latter knew where it was. Moreover, the fact that we lose water to keep the body temperature stable means any endurance runner would have had to carry fresh water to fuel the nonsense in this hypothesis. By the way this is the hypothesis that paleo hangs its hat on in case you are wondering....................
    Josh (Paleo Osteo), caroline and av8r like this.
  2. Josh

    Josh Gold

    Slow dogs and weak chimps....
  3. Martin

    Martin Gold

    I've been called both... recently.

    Josh (Paleo Osteo) likes this.
  4. nonchalant

    nonchalant Silver

    Martin, I said I was sorry about that...
    Jude, Martin, caroline and 1 other person like this.
  5. sjoshua

    sjoshua New Member

    Hominins just wanted to talk to each other easier. There is a lot less neck strain looking someone else in the eye when you're both upright.
  6. Andrea

    Andrea What is NOT on the menu?

    I would have thought that upright stance was developped in order for the hominid males to display their disproportionately large penis to the females (and other males?)... :)
    caroline likes this.

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