Re: Is this all there is?

Phil Nicholls (pn8886@thor.albany.edu)
16 May 1995 03:42:04 GMT

Christopher Beetle <afn15317@freenet.ufl.edu> writes:

> Here is one case from Forbidden Archeology for your
> inspection--the Laetoli footprints.
>
> Excerpted from Forbidden Archeology, by M. Cremo and R. Thompson,
> pp. 742-747. Copyright (c) 1993 by Govardhan Hill, Inc.

[Excerpt deleted]

Cremo and Thompson do a fairly good job of describing some of the
debate over the Latolei footprints. However, there conclusion that
this is evidence for anatomically modern Homo sapiens rests on the
premise that if the foot was modern the rest of the critter was
modern also. Modern means just like ours.

Wrong. Very wrong. In most organisms mosaic evolution is the rule,
not the exception. Assuming that the footprints are modern-looking,
this may simply be evidence for an early species of Homo, something
pre- Homo habilis. Anatomically modern Homo sapiens is defined by
features of the skull, not the foot. 

-- 

Phil Nicholls                     "To ask a question you must first

Department of Anthropology           know most of the answer." 

SUNY Albany                                      -Robert Sheckley

pn8886@cnsunix.albany.edu            SEMPER ALLOUATTA