Re: A Point for Calvin

Tony Waldron (tonywal@unm.edu)
Tue, 01 Oct 1996 14:59:36 GMT

clarke@acme.ist.ucf.edu (Thomas Clarke) wrote:

>I read an article in todays newspaper about a group
>of boyscouts camping in Yosemite National Park who had
>killed a bear by throwing rocks at it.

>The point of the article was that they accidentally
>killed it and so weren't going to be proscecuted.
>They were trying to scare it off, but some of the boys
>used baseball sized rocks.

>I find this event interesting in light of some of the recent
>discussion about what kinds of animals neanderthals and humans
>could kill with primitive weapons.

>Apparently 11 to 14 year old boys can kill bears with rocks.

For the record, it was a 100 lb. yearling cub, not as formidable a
threat as a full grown Black Bear (300-500 lb.).

>I think William Calvin hypothesized that it was throwing
>ability that provided the selective advantage for large
>brain size in hominds. Perhaps this event is a point for him.

>Tom Clarke

Tony Waldron, tonywal@unm.edu
Manager, Hardware Maintenance
Computer & Information Resources & Technology
University of New Mexico
2701 Campus Blvd.
Albuquerque N.M. 87131