Jonathan Gresham wrote:
Because of a 'boisei' skull found in 1985 in Kenya that was considerably massive and older than any robustus specimen: it then must have been
a separate and earlier species and most likely not descended from africanus. If it did, then there would be more than one australopithecine lineage, and the previously held belief that the australopithecines became increasingly robust through time should be reversed. "As a result of this one find, there no longer are widely
accepted ideas as to who gave rise to whom" (Dean, D. R., 2022)
The problem here is the linear model.
It's one reason why paleo anthropology is the furthest thing from
a real science... just one of the many reasons.
See, they draw a line and then drop things from left to right, with
the oldest being on the left, their younger descendants to their
right...
Aquatic Ape explains them all!
Exploitation of marine resources provided all the brain building
Omega-3s they needed, as well as the impetus for bipedal
locomotion. It also spread our ancestors across continents.
They picked up stuff & ate it. As soon as the pickings grew
slim, they moved on.
But, for any number of many reasons there were groups
following freshwater sources inland. Once arrived, they adapted
and radiated out... filling number niches. But...
There was always new arrivals, or at least often enough to
moderate evolution. But the further they got from the east cost
of Africa, or the northeast coast, the less influenced, the less
moderation from the Aquatic Ape population.
Think "Ring Species" only instead of a ring we're dealing with
a line. Or, if you prefer, think of it as a "Ring Segment."
The point is that those best adapted to the inland world, the
first, and those the furthest away from the east coast Aquatic
Ape population, are going to look more like an ape.
Or, in this case, more robust.
"Impetus." Damn. Talk about a brain fart; for the life of me I
just could not spell it! I had to take to Google...
HOW can I think of a word while the spelling escapes me?!?!?
Some claiming to know a bit about psychology said us
chronically bad spellers like to do things our own way.
Possible.
-- --
https://jtem.tumblr.com/post/728625463760650240
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)