Re: Survival of the Fittest

Ania Lian (ania@LINGUA.CLTR.UQ.OZ.AU)
Wed, 13 Sep 1995 10:15:34 +1000

On Wed, 13 Sep 1995, Iain Davidson wrote:

> may well not be fit at all. So how do we measure fitness? Or to put it
> another way, how adapted is adapted?

Thanks Ian for a lovely contribution. My two points:
1 re definition of "fitness". You cannot even measure it with the
athletes, i.e. who is fitter a marathon runner who in the gym cannot lift
up (even with their legs) a lightest weight, a bodybuilder who has
stamina to lift up heavy weights and lifts really heavy and a lot, or a
person who does not run a marathon, but is fit to do some things and who
lifts weights (quite well) but is miles away from a bodybuilder?

2 A propos Aboriginal people in Australia. Isn't there some
research going on by Steve Webb in Australia telling us that the history
of people in Australia does not follow a straight simple line?? Then
again, why should it? It's amazing that some people think it should/does
only because Australia is far away/ but from what?
ania