Re: Bipedalism and theorizing... was Re: Morgan and creationists

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Paul Crowley <Paul@crowleyp.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>> > For example: Did early (bipedal) hominid females carry their infants
>> > in the ventral position or in their arms or did they (like h.s.s.)
>> > mostly leave them down in a safe place?
>>
>> Such ancient behavior is untestable, and therefore will forever be
>> unresolved, because it lacks both real evidence and unambiguous evidence.

>On the basis of our observation of the behaviour of bipedal hominid
>females (i.e. h.s.s.) we could estimate probabilities; let's say
>ventral position=5% carrying in arms=10% putting down=85%

And here you are assuming that modern humans are an accurate
behavioral model for early hominids,which they probably aren't since
early hominids were still very apelike in certain anatomical
characters.Choose the wrong model and you will get the wrong
estimates.
Taking a bipedal chimp as a model you might get something like:
ventral position=70% dorsal position=20% carrying in arms=5%
putting down=5%.(just off the top of my head)

Gerrit.

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