A Point for Calvin
Thomas Clarke (clarke@acme.ist.ucf.edu)
1 Oct 1996 12:46:57 GMT
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.
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
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