Re: The Aquatic Adaptation of the Human Ear

David L Burkhead (r3dlb1@dax.cc.uakron.edu)
13 Oct 1995 18:16:21 GMT

In article <45lh6i$7hp@scotsman.ed.ac.uk> @hgu.mrc.ac.uk writes:
>To David Froehlich;
>
> How would you explain the following;
>
> 1) The fact that humans and elephants are the only land animals that
>shed tears when emotionally disturbed, and all the other animals that do
>this are marine.

Who says that this is the case? How does one determined a causal
link between excess tear formation leading to external shedding of
fluid and an emotionally disturbed state?

In other words, who says this is a fact? And what are their
qualifications for making such a statement? What is there data and
how did they determine it?

> 2) Brain growth requires adequate amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids in the
>diet, and these acids are common in the marine food chain but rare in the
>terrestrial one.

Source for this claim as well. But even on the face, it's not
much of a "point" since human populations that never get _near_ the
ocean and that marine food chain are nevertheless able to get
sufficient Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet for brain growth. Since
an inland diet provides sufficient quantity of the requisite
nutrients, their need cannot provide evidence for an aquatic background.

David L. Burkhead
r3dlb1@dax.cc.uakron.edu
d.l.burk@ix.netcom.com

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