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The aquatic ape hypothesis of human evolution

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  • 21-10-2009 5:35pm
    #1
    Prof.Badass
    Registered Users Posts: 2,931 ✭✭✭


    Another thread made me think of this. It's an interesting idea. Could explain a lot of our features, but then again there are some glaring flaws (such as dealing with aquatic predators and parasites).

    Here's a link to a ted video by Elaine Morgan (the main proponent of the aah) and a rebuttal by some internet person;

    http://adhominin.com/files/aquatic_ape.html#


    Anyway, what ya think?


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    #2
    Nulty
    Registered Users Posts: 7,838 ✭✭✭Nulty


    It is very interesting indeed! I've never heard of the theory and never considered our nakedness in relation to other mammals. My background is in psychology so its never been an issue thats risen in my experience.

    Its very suspect that the theory is ignored so much with no good reason. Especially that theres a vacuum of explanation now. Excuse the (double!) pun but it seems to hold pleanty of water...on the surface.

    Why should it not be true?

    One thing that has just crossed my mind is sweating. Do rhinos, elephants or hippos sweat? is there a correlation there? I know dogs dont sweat but do other hairy/furry animals sweat?


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    #3
    wudangclan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭wudangclan


    there´s another theory in a book i read ,but which i can´t remember the name of right now,that our nakedness results from our evolving from those primates which were more evolved as the infant of the species ,as infants were more inclined to social cohesion ,and this was a necessary trait in order to survive on the savannahs.
    he also contends in this book that we may have spent several millenia,in our developmental stage,living beside the sea ,somewhere in africa,which gives us our affinity to the sea but i´m not sure about the aquatic-mammal theory being wholly exclusive.


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    #4
    Mahatma coat
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,869 ✭✭✭Mahatma coat


    I think attenboro touched on this inhis Life Of Mammal series.

    Basicly te hypothesis was that we evolved upright walking from Wading a lot, and the hair thing was a trait that developed from swimmin a lot but is probably down to Sexualselection to the same extent.


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