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
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Albuquerque N.M. 87131
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