Re: A really stupid question
(no name) ((no email))
12 May 1995 19:48:14 GMT
>ok. if you throw most mammals into a swimming pool they manage to paddle
>around, at least for a little while (not that i am speaking from
>experience). why does this not seem to apply to humans?
>is it some culturally-induced panic that makes it necessary for us to
>LEARN to be water-safe? where in our evolution did we forget how to
>paddle and decide to thrash and scream instead? and what about other
>primates?
At least some monkeys can swim. The great apes cannot swim (I'm not
sure about gibbons and siamangs). From my understanding, a chimpanzee
will just sink like a rock (although I've never witnessed it). I'm not
sure if *all* monkeys can swim or not. I've seen monkeys in a zoo
confined on an island with a moat around it. This would suggest that
either they can't swim or they can't climb the little wall once they
swim to it.
As for humans, some people will argue that babies can swim as soon
as they're born, but to me it looks more like they're just holding
their breath and moving their arms. If you are assuming that humans
cannot innately swim, then what makes you think we forgot? Maybe we
just never acquired that inherent quality.
Ya know, this may have something to do with the aquatic ape discussion
that's going on here.
Dave B.
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