Re: A really stupid question
DWilhelmy (dwilhelmy@aol.com)
12 May 1995 18:27:25 -0400
>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.
newborns just came from an aquatic environment so it doesn't suprise me
they can swim (or at least hold their breath and not panic). but what
about a toddler who falls in a swimming pool? does the erect posture
negate unlearned water safety?
>if you are assuming that humans
>cannot innately swim, then what makes you think we forgot? Maybe we
>just never acquired that inherent quality.
it's just that those tree shrew things at the top of the primate tree are
similar in form to animals that can swim (i dont know if the tree shrews
actually can).
so the knuckle-walkers are crummy/non-swimmers too. maybe the trick to
swimming is to behave like a quadruped and to pretend your foramen magnum
is further back? maybe i'm answering my own question. sorry to bother
everyone :-)
>Ya know, this may have something to do with the aquatic ape discussion
>that's going on here.
it probably does, i'm going to have to pay more attention (sigh)
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