Why an Aquatic Ape?
John C. McLoughlin (darwincr@laplaza.taos.nm.us)
22 Oct 1995 09:20:26 -0600
In all this aquatic ape folderol, I've yet to understand why anyone even
supposed that hominids underwent a period of water-dwelling sufficiently
obligate that it changed them physiologically.
I mean, what would these aquatic apes have eaten? Try to look around
under water without a facemask. Try to catch a fish without a net, or a
hook and line.
I think that Elaine Morgan explained the origin of the theory of aquatic
apes best in the forward to her first book (if I recall correctly); she
said that she was tired of reading "how man evolved," and wanted to read
about "how >woman< evolved," and wanted a theory of hominid evolution
that was polemically compelling - politically correct!
In short, at least as I've been able to restore it, the AAT arose not
from the fossil record or from any other real evidence (>housecats'< hair
is designed to maximize water flow by its direction!), but because of the
sexist motivation of one writer.
Am I wrong?
Many thanks.
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