Diane
25-12-2007, 12:49 AM
I found this good good blog today, OUPblog (http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/human/#more-1425), (Oxford University Press USA).
This post is called "Redefining the word “Human” – Do Some Apes Have Human Ancestors?" It is quite extensive and thoughtful, talks about lumbar vertebrae, etc., and generally sort of dispels that little delusion we entertain about bipedalism being just for "us." It would seem other primates walk upright too, in fact, based on fossil evidence looked at from a different angle, some of them may have started out bipedal and have gone to "quadri-manual". Maybe those opposable big toes that apes have are an enhancement, an upgrade from where we are (still) at, evolutionarily speaking?
The post includes a link to a 25 minute movie that makes the point, called Hominiform Progression (http://uprightape.net/Hominiform_Progression.html).
This post is called "Redefining the word “Human” – Do Some Apes Have Human Ancestors?" It is quite extensive and thoughtful, talks about lumbar vertebrae, etc., and generally sort of dispels that little delusion we entertain about bipedalism being just for "us." It would seem other primates walk upright too, in fact, based on fossil evidence looked at from a different angle, some of them may have started out bipedal and have gone to "quadri-manual". Maybe those opposable big toes that apes have are an enhancement, an upgrade from where we are (still) at, evolutionarily speaking?
The post includes a link to a 25 minute movie that makes the point, called Hominiform Progression (http://uprightape.net/Hominiform_Progression.html).