Freethought & Rationalism Archive

butswana · 05-09-2002, 08:54 AM

<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/05/020509074029.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/05/020509074029.htm</a>

Mageth · 05-09-2002, 09:04 AM

Interesting. I watched "Secrets of the Dead" last night on PBS where they described the <a href="http://204.29.171.80/framer/navigation.asp?charset=utf-8&cc=US&frameid=1565&lc=en-us&providerid=262&realname=PBS&uid=3509072&url=htt p%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2F" target="_blank">Orrorin Tugenensis</a> fossils, which may push back bipedalism to at least 6M years ago. As these fossils appear to come from a forested region, they propose a different theory for the origin of bipedalism.

MrDarwin · 05-09-2002, 10:48 AM

There's an interesting opinion piece in the current issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution (sorry, I don't have the citation handy, just skimmed it in the library today) regarding the origins of bipedality. IIRC it's not exactly the "aquatic ape" hypothesis but something similar, suggesting the common ancestor of humans and other apes was "aquarboreal" and lived in marshy or semi-aquatic habitats, wading or swimming but also climbing trees. They hypothesize that gorillas and chimps evolved from an australopithecine-like ancestor that was already semibipedal, and returned to an entirely terrestrial habitat.

theyeti · 05-09-2002, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrDarwin:
<strong>There's an interesting opinion piece in the current issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution (sorry, I don't have the citation handy, just skimmed it in the library today) regarding the origins of bipedality.</strong>

You mean this one: Aquarboreal ancestors? Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 17 (5) 212-7.

I put a pdf on my page. Let's see if it can be downloaded...<a href="http://people.musc.edu/~reulansn/science.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.

And this image:

Sorry about all this, but I'm experimenting with being able to link stuff from my web page. Ahh, the POWER!

theyeti

{edit to add} I'm able to download the file from the link above. Can anyone else? If anyone wants it, get it soon because I'll probably delete it before long.

[ May 09, 2002: Message edited by: theyeti ]</p>

The Lone Ranger · 05-09-2002, 12:46 PM

Regarding the "Aquarboreal ancestors" hypothesis presented in the recent TREE article:

We had a discussion about this article in our lab group recently. Our general conclusion was that the authors had some interesting ideas which might be worth following up on, but no credible evidence to support them.

Cheers,

Michael

05-09-2002, 08:54 AM	#1
butswana Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 1,804	Origin Of Bipedalism Seems Most Closely Tied To Environmental Changes <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/05/020509074029.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/05/020509074029.htm</a>

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05-09-2002, 09:04 AM	#2
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	Interesting. I watched "Secrets of the Dead" last night on PBS where they described the <a href="http://204.29.171.80/framer/navigation.asp?charset=utf-8&cc=US&frameid=1565&lc=en-us&providerid=262&realname=PBS&uid=3509072&url=htt p%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2F" target="_blank">Orrorin Tugenensis</a> fossils, which may push back bipedalism to at least 6M years ago. As these fossils appear to come from a forested region, they propose a different theory for the origin of bipedalism.

05-09-2002, 10:48 AM	#3
MrDarwin Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 4,140	There's an interesting opinion piece in the current issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution (sorry, I don't have the citation handy, just skimmed it in the library today) regarding the origins of bipedality. IIRC it's not exactly the "aquatic ape" hypothesis but something similar, suggesting the common ancestor of humans and other apes was "aquarboreal" and lived in marshy or semi-aquatic habitats, wading or swimming but also climbing trees. They hypothesize that gorillas and chimps evolved from an australopithecine-like ancestor that was already semibipedal, and returned to an entirely terrestrial habitat.

05-09-2002, 12:46 PM	#5
The Lone Ranger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Eastern U.S. Posts: 1,230	Regarding the "Aquarboreal ancestors" hypothesis presented in the recent TREE article: We had a discussion about this article in our lab group recently. Our general conclusion was that the authors had some interesting ideas which might be worth following up on, but no credible evidence to support them. Cheers, Michael

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