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Re: H2O Preds. and AAT
J. Moore (j#d#.moore@canrem.com)
Fri, 29 Sep 95 15:54:00 -0500
Ga> On the other hand, if you mean, "which bodies of water had crocs and
Ga> which didn't," we actually have some relevant data. Eitan Tchernov
Ga> wrote a monograph on Tertiary and Pleistocene crocodylids of western and
Ga> northern Africa (1986, CNRS), and a revision, largely based on the Lake
Ga> Turkana crocs, is in the works by Glenn Storrs. Crocodylians have a
Ga> fantastic fossil record - they lived in great environments for
Ga> preservation, and their bone is rather dense. As far as we can tell,
Ga> if it was wet, there were crocs.
Ga> As for crocs decimating a population; I'm going out on a limb here, but
Ga> yes, I do think crocs could have nearly eradicated a population of
Ga> semiaquatic forms similar to us.
[deleted material]
Ga> Again, my caveat - my research is on crocs, not primates. If my
Ga> understanding of hominid population struture is off, I apologize.
Ga> chris
No apes live in outrageously large groups, ala gnus, and evidence
from fossil sites and from modern human gathering-hunting groups
show relatively small groups as well. It would take some mighty
special pleading to suggest that early hominids went through a
period of living in very large groups. Even then, of course, you
have the problem of a slow reproductive rate, which wouldn't allow
for population replacement as seen in small and medium (and even
large) aquatic animals.
Jim Moore (j#d#.moore@canrem.com)
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