Article

2008-12-06 Science & Technology

Homo saps older than previously believed?

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Posted by Fred 2008-12-06 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 Judging by my reaction to Raquel's picture, I'm guessing I'm not a member of the genus Homo.

Posted by gorb 2008-12-06 02:14|| 2008-12-06 02:14|| Front Page Top

#2 It not a clean lineage. I think we all can vouch by observation that some members of the species have taken the off ramp of the road of evolution.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-12-06 09:34|| 2008-12-06 09:34|| Front Page Top

#3 It has long been known that, at the time of the arrival of Europeans to North America, very culturally advanced tribes existed right next door to very primitive tribes.

While they were all technologically still Stone Age, technology is a poor descriptor of civilization. Some of the primitives were like what we think of as cavemen, living next door to tribes that were intellectually about on a par with the European Age of Reason.

Now extrapolate that to 200,000 years of humanity. It is not hard to imagine very intellectual, yet less-technological societies flourishing side by side with what we think of as entirely intellectually primitive societies. And yet we think of them all as cavemen.

The decisive factor in human evolution appears to be the cultural trait of expansionism. Many more advanced societies seemingly abhorred the idea of leaving their home turf, which ultimately exterminated them. Only when nomadic peoples arose, did humanity start to evolve in earnest.

And when tribes became expansionistic, both cultural and technological development exploded. This is where we see the first traces of nations and history, and when man made the jump from stone to bronze to iron.

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-12-06 09:51|| 2008-12-06 09:51|| Front Page Top

#4 funny what future archeologists will make of the fact that most of the "humans" currently living in caves wear turbans and live in Pakland

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-12-06 10:27|| 2008-12-06 10:27|| Front Page Top

#5
Chimps, gorillas, and bonobos live, if not side by side, in similar environments. Ditto several species of baboons.

Human evo did not, apparently take place as a matter of linear succession. No reason there could not have been two or even three vairants living simultaneously.

After all, Peewee Herman and Hulk Hogan are both considered Homo Sap, but if their skeletal remains were discovered a million years from now, the question would be whether Hulk had a pet or Peewee a draft animal.

Anybody who discovers a skeleton more than, say, 100k years old wants to have discovered a new species. Get their name on it, and all.

Posted by Richard Aubrey 2008-12-06 10:51|| 2008-12-06 10:51|| Front Page Top

#6 She's a homo? Pity for the majority of us guys.

Posted by Richard of Oregon 2008-12-06 13:14|| 2008-12-06 13:14|| Front Page Top

#7 Can I watch?

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2008-12-06 13:42|| 2008-12-06 13:42|| Front Page Top

#8 It is not hard to imagine very intellectual, yet less-technological societies flourishing side by side with what we think of as entirely intellectually primitive societies. And yet we think of them all as cavemen

You just described the whole Middle east.

Posted by Rednek Jim 2008-12-06 14:39|| 2008-12-06 14:39|| Front Page Top

#9 Actully she is a Bimbo-Homo from the LSD era.

Posted by Chief 2008-12-06 21:58|| 2008-12-06 21:58|| Front Page Top

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