Re: First Family and AAT

Thomas Clarke (clarke@acme.ist.ucf.edu)
18 Oct 1995 18:15:09 GMT

In article <60.3430.7295.0N1F936D@canrem.com> writes:

> TC> > TC> In other words why aren't chimpanzees and gorillas bipedal?
> TC> > TC> Tom Clarke

> We (or at least I) am not trying to seriously "reverse the AAT
> argument", because, as I suggested in my last sentence, that
> argument is not the way evolution works. Evolution deals (or
> should deal) with "how?" If you want to ask "why?", you need to
> head on over to philosophy.

Why must I be so precise on usenet?
Let me rephrase my question is SC (scientifically correct) language.

If the environmental factors were such development of bipedalism
was favored for the common ancestor, how was it that the common
ancestor also adopted knuckle walking?

> Evolutionary studies do not have, and
> cannot have, the answer to nevertheless fascinating question "why?"

Of course not, but that is "why" in a very different sense.
Surely you know the difference.

Tom Clarke