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Re: Savannah strawman
MFeldman77 (mfeldman77@aol.com)
2 Jul 1996 23:04:16 -0400
I just read _Paleoclimate and Evolution_ edited by Vrba, et al. This
project has about 50 contributors that must outline all the available data
on paleoclimate that exists. Though it reads like a textbook, it takes
you up to date. Dust transport from sediment records, soil carbonate, and
pollen records outlined in oppressive detail give overwhelming evidence of
a climate gradually changing from a humid forest to savannah. All the
authors agree to a significant climate change at 3myr corresponding to a
burst of evolutionary activity from A. aferensis to Homo and the robust
Australopethicans. Another major change occurs at .9myr which may
correspond to a burst from Homo erectus to other varieties of Homos.
Mark Feldman
St. Louis, Mo.
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