Re: Aquatic ape theory

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In article <812932027snz@crowleyp.demon.co.uk> Paul Crowley
<Paul@crowleyp.demon.co.uk> writes:
> In article <44ne82$5kt@kruuna.helsinki.fi>
> ronkanen@cc.Helsinki.FI "Osmo Ronkanen" writes:

> > If the aquatic life bought bipedalism, then it must have happened some
> > 4-5 million years ago. If it also caused the loss of body hair, then why
> > did the body hair not return when the aquatic life was over? If the body
> > hair would have been beneficial for living in land, it should have
> > returned.

> Good point. I don't know what other AATer's think, but my own view
> is that the "aquatic" phase lasted until very recently.

The answer is very simple. Once the ape was upright with no hair,
then all the advantages cited by the non-aquatic advocates for
upright hairlessness in the savanah would apply.
There would be no selective pressures for reaquiring hair since
a new evolutionarily stable mode of savannah existence would have
been attained.
Judging by subsequent success the upright hairless mode, once
attained, works very well indeed.

Tom Clarke

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