Re: A New (Old) Theory of Hominid Evolution
Thomas Clarke (clarke@acme.ist.ucf.edu)
16 Nov 1995 13:15:02 GMT
In article <48cped$j78@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu> Alex Duncan
<aduncan@mail.utexas.edu> writes:
> I came across the following article in The Journal of Irreproducible
> Results;
> FLOAT: A NEW PARADIGM FOR HUMAN EVOLUTION
I think I vaguely remember seeing this when it came out.
Thanks for recalling it to mind.
You might also be interested in my article:
1984 Clarke, T. L., An application of measure theory to the problem
of flexible working hours, J.Irreproducible Results, 29, No. 2, 15.
It sounds to me like the author is an equal opportunity lampooner:
AATers:
> FLOAT ... demonstrates that many puzzling and unique
> features of human anatomy and psyche were adaptive during the aerial
> phase of human evolution....
> bipedalism ... parsimoniously interpreted
> as a landing adaptation convergent with long-legged ... birds
> ... buttocks ... functioned as part of a "saddle"
> .. long head hair constituted the "reins"
PAists:
> The fossil man "establishment," their headpieces filled with straw men,
> call attention to the absence of winged hominids in the fossil record.
> .... While, strictly speaking, D. E. Brown actually brought
> this article to my attention, surely C. S. Lancaster would have done so
> had he been aware of its existence. Since Lancaster's career is being
> built largely via acknowledgments in footnotes, I would like to take this
> opportunity to thank him for his virtual contribution.
I guess this lampoon shows that nothing has changed in 12 years :-)
On second thought maybe "straw men" is a second order lampoon?
Tom Clarke
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