Re: Morgan Tears 3.

Alex Duncan (aduncan@mail.utexas.edu)
1 Nov 1995 15:51:44 GMT

In article <475278$c6@scotsman.ed.ac.uk> , jamesb@hgu.mrc.ac.uk writes:

>The AAT proposes that elephants have a marine ancestor, which maybe they
>share with sea-cows. Does anyone else have a good explanation for why
>elephants are functionally hairless, have lots of subcutaneous fat,
>convoluted vaginal passageways, retractable penises, violitional breath
>control etc.etc.? I have also heard it claimed that elephants have the
>vestiges of a long-range sonar system in their heads, but I don't have a
>reference.

I can't believe I'm reading this.

Let's see if I follow the argument:

1) Humans have aquatic ancestors. We know this because humans are
hairless, have subcutaneous fat, and shed tears.

2) Hairlessness, subcutaneous fat and tear shedding are all adaptations
to an aquatic environment. Any animal that has these features must have
had a (relatively recent) aquatic ancestor.

3) Elephants are largely hairless, have subcutaneous fat, and shed tears.

4) Since elephants have the features noted above, they must have aquatic
ancestors.

5) Since humans share these features with elephants, we must have
aquatic ancestors.

Can you say "tautology"?

Alex Duncan
Dept. of Anthropology
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712-1086
512-471-4206
aduncan@mail.utexas.edu