Re: Are we "special"?

John Waters (jdwaters@dircon.co.uk)
23 Dec 1996 23:10:57 GMT

Phillip Bigelow <bh162@scn.org> wrote in article
<32BB401F.329@scn.org>...
> John Waters wrote:
>
> > The LBI brood may not be particularly remarkable, but
> > sometimes the least remarkable changes can lead to the
most
> > remarkable long term effects.
>
> I for one am having trouble deciding if multi-age
brooding is a
> cause, or if it is a serendipitous effect.

JW: Serendipitous effect, eh? What are you talking about,
Phillip? Are you suggesting that the multi-age brood is a
reality? If you are, then you are the first professional
scientist to do so.

I think we can probably both agree that the facts should
come first. If the multi-age broods are a fact,
serendipitous or otherwise; then let science categorize and
define this fact. Let the professionals say clearly that
the human species has multi-age broods, whereas the
Anthropoid Apes have singe age broods.

Once we have the facts about the existing situation,
regarding LBI and SBI multi-age broods, then we can start
to hypothesize on the causes of their evolution, and the
effects (if any) on subsequent hominid evolution.
>
> For instance, if complex gramatical language developed
first,
> it could make it easier for the changes you wrote about
to evolve.

JW: Interesting. Could you expand on this?

> One of the problems in determing such things in PA is
that
> there is nothing in the way of hard data to hang anything
on.

JW: Are you saying that ethological studies are worthless?

John.