aquatic ape hypothesis

[evirus]

what are you opinions on that aquatic ape hypothesis?

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_ape_theory )

[wild weasel]

what are you opinions on that aquatic ape hypothesis?

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_ape_theory )

I think there was a very long thread on that hypothesis a little while back. Try the search facility, you may dig (or dredge...) something up.

WW

[Oolon Colluphid]

It is twaddle, a nice idea foundering on hard science.

David might disgree though.

[gamerguy]

http://richarddawkins.net/forum/viewtop ... hypothesis

Here it is.

[DavidMcC]

evirus, as the only protagonist for the AAH who put his head over the parapet, I recommend page 6 of the thread that gamerguy found, for a suggestion as to how the issue of ambiguity of the evidence might one day be resolved. Before that, there is some discussion as to how conclusive the date for skin pigmentation is (I don't think it is).
I ran a poll about it, but there were only 8 voters:
AAH poll

[DavidMcC]

One factor which may not have previously been considered in the AAH debate, is this:
At least part of the so-called "Afar depression" (which is the area proposed by Morgan as the birth place of the hominids) must surely have suffered a catastrophic flood at some stage during the sea-level rise around 6.5MYa. If this is the case, then some of the common ancestor population would, literally overnight, have found sea water lapping at the base of their trees. That sea water would have contained fish. What a gift! Assuming the common ancestor, like humans and, to a lesser extent, modern chimps, a creature of learning and culture, this bonus would not have been forgotten, even as the beaches were forming, due to the salinity of the water. Thus, one could imagine those chimp-like apes starting to cross beaches in search of the food that had previously been delivered to their ancestors' "doorstep" by a chance event. It's like when my milkman stopped coming, I started going to the shop to get my milk - a nuisance, but needs must!