Evolutionary Back Story: Thoroughly Modern Spine Supported Human Ancestor

Science News ^ | 5-7-2006 | Bruce Bower

[blam]

GGG Ping.

Here's a 2003 article from Scientific American about this discovery in the Republic Of Georgia.

Stranger In A New Land

Image: JOHN GURCHE PORTRAIT OF A PIONEER With a brain half the size of a modern one and a brow reminiscent of Homo habilis, this hominid is one of the most primitive members of our genus on record. Paleoartist John Gurche reconstructed this 1.75-million-year-old explorer from a nearly complete teenage H. erectus skull and associated mandible found in Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia. The background figures derive from two partial crania recovered at the site.

[uncitizen]

Put a pair of specs on that guy and i'd swear i was looking at Alan Colmes.

[Dawggie]

Hey, I think your right!

[xJones]

Homo erectus, what else is new? And it's nonsense to think that an advanced back bone is required for speech. Al Gore and Jimmy Carter, for instance, never shut up and neither one has any back bone.

[CzarNicky]

in other news no spines were found in the Republican section of Congress.

[Mr. Brightside]

Looking at Congressional Republicans, the spine gene must skip a few generations.

[Sacajaweau]

Why would one even think that early humans didn't talk to each other...in some form? Babies cry....That's a way of talking. The problem is developing a common language.

I contend that man was never an idiot and if the world started all over...it would go through an almost identical learning process. The most important thing remains interaction between human beings...the old "two heads are better than one". It's the struggle for "agreement" that drives us.

[blam]

"I contend that man was never an idiot and if the world started all over...it would go through an almost identical learning process. "

My thoughts too.

[ClaudiusI]

Huh, huh, huh, he said "erect".

[GSlob]

I'd contend the opposite - that the man is, and has always been, an idiot. The key is in the relatively rare less- and non- idiotic exceptions.

[balrog666]

Are a small number of barks and hoots "words"?

[Sender]

The day the mighty warriors laid down their spears and picked up an intern and an expense account, their spines began to atrophy.

[freedumb2003]

Are a small number of barks and hoots "words"?

If they had the same meaning to the receiver as the sender, sure.

[freedumb2003]

2 seconds apart!!

Pretty spooky ;)

Also true.

[PatrickHenry]

Ping. But it's a blam thread, so I won't deploy the list.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I contend that man was never an idiot

Correct.

With the exception of Republicans that have a majority in both houses of congress and the executive branch but can't seem to push any conservative agenda.

[elmer fudd]

I contend that man was never an idiot and if the world started all over...it would go through an almost identical learning process.

Idiots of any species don't live long in the wild. Even animals that we regard as dumb tend to be quite canny in their behavior. They can't afford to be dumb unless they are domesticated.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the ping!