Re: What is an AAT?
Phil Nicholls (pn8886@csc.albany.edu)
14 Jan 1995 07:45:29 GMT
In article <3f7c1t$o3e@quartz.ucs.ualberta.ca>,
Darren Lee <darrlee@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca> wrote:
>Can anyone tell me what this abr. stands for so I can include myself in
>other conversations.
>
> Thanks in Advance,
>
>Darren Lee
>
>*************************************************************************
>
>Darren Lee - The man without a stupid quote by someone who is dead
> and Extremely outdated.
>*************************************************************************
AAT = aquatic ape theory
AAH = aquatic ape hypothesis (more accurate in my view).
Briefly, AAT supporters contend that hairlessness and a host of other
characteristics are very similar to characteristics of aquatic mammals
and that these characteristics are found in humans because a pre-human
ape ancestor swam/waded/wallowed (depending on who you talk to) and
that there was convergent evolution.
AAT traits include:
hairlessness
eccrine gland sweating
a lack of apocrine sweat glands
descended larynyx
bipedalism
fleshy, downward pointed nose.
salty tears
subcutaneous layers of fat
babies born with lots of fat.
babies are able to swim.
I have disputed all of these as either (a) not being unique to humans
(b) erroneous (c) based on anecdotal accounts.
--
Philip "Chris" Nicholls Department of Anthropology
Institute for Hydrohominoid Studies SUNY Albany
University of Ediacara pn8886@cnsunix.albany.edu
"Semper Alouatta"
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