The BBC2 programme last night was superb, hosted by the very watchable Dr Alice Roberts, Origins Of Us. She reveals how our ancestors hunt for food and survival has shaped our bodies and behaviour. But straight away there was a major discrepancy in my mind and my head slowly shook from side to side.
(i) 6 million years ago the African jungle dried out and turned cold, creating the new savannah.
(ii) the claim is then that chimpanzee-like apes learned to stand upright in order to reach the highest fruits at the tree tops.
I think that it's much more likely that early man used sticks to dig for roots and tubers. Any approach of lions etc would lead to a scramble to the safety of the nearest trees. The longer the stick, the deeper we could dig. The more upright we were, the more digging force we could apply. The stick would then become a bipedal walking aid as well as a potential bipedal weapon to ward off would-be attackers.
The advance to uplands would produce a new difficulty of hard compact ground which was ineffective to dig with their walking sticks. Now a hand held stone would be more advantageous, because it wouldn't break. Back down on all fours perhaps, but the digger could now be protected. This led to the enlarged and more opposable thumbs. Stone crafting would then have led to flints and fire.
I suspect that the loss of fur occurred after our command of fire and acquisition of the best dry caves. Running down our former foes would have only been possible with the carrying of water in a skin and the back-up of warriors with tall stick spears.
Conclusion: we went uphill before coming down to claim the plains.
Anyone agree with me?
(i) 6 million years ago the African jungle dried out and turned cold, creating the new savannah.
(ii) the claim is then that chimpanzee-like apes learned to stand upright in order to reach the highest fruits at the tree tops.
I think that it's much more likely that early man used sticks to dig for roots and tubers. Any approach of lions etc would lead to a scramble to the safety of the nearest trees. The longer the stick, the deeper we could dig. The more upright we were, the more digging force we could apply. The stick would then become a bipedal walking aid as well as a potential bipedal weapon to ward off would-be attackers.
The advance to uplands would produce a new difficulty of hard compact ground which was ineffective to dig with their walking sticks. Now a hand held stone would be more advantageous, because it wouldn't break. Back down on all fours perhaps, but the digger could now be protected. This led to the enlarged and more opposable thumbs. Stone crafting would then have led to flints and fire.
I suspect that the loss of fur occurred after our command of fire and acquisition of the best dry caves. Running down our former foes would have only been possible with the carrying of water in a skin and the back-up of warriors with tall stick spears.
Conclusion: we went uphill before coming down to claim the plains.
Anyone agree with me?