Study: Ancient 'Nutcracker Man' really ate grass

Associated Press ^ | May 2, 2011 | RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

[decimon]

WASHINGTON – Nutcracker Man didn't eat nuts after all.

After a half-century of referring to an ancient pre-human as "Nutcracker Man" because of his large teeth and powerful jaw, scientists now conclude that he actually chewed grasses instead.

The study "reminds us that in paleontology, things are not always as they seem," commented Peter S. Ungar, chairman of anthropology at the University of Arkansas.

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It turns out that the early human known as Paranthropus boisei did not eat nuts but dined more heavily on grasses than any other human ancestor or human relative studied to date. Only an extinct species of grass-eating baboon ate more, they said.

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[colorado tanker]

It's Johnson, as in Lyndon Johnson. His SecDef Robert McNamara launched Project 100,000, a supposed anti-poverty program to take recruits into the Army who could not qualify on the AFQT, some with scores so low they would qualify as retarded. Disproportionate numbers were African-American, assigned to combat arms, mainly infantry, and sent to Vietnam, where they died in disproportionate numbers.

They contributed to the breakdown indiscipline and drug use that became problems during Vietnam.

Of course, postponing the day when deferments for white college kids would have to end had nothing to do with it. Uh, uh.

Just another liberal program inflicted on America and its military.

[decimon]

Disproportionate numbers were African-American, assigned to combat arms, mainly infantry, and sent to Vietnam, where they died in disproportionate numbers.

What I've read is that blacks died proportionately in Vietnam.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

What I've read is that blacks died proportionately in Vietnam.

Blacks were 7264 of the 58,193 Vietnam deaths. 12.5%, almost exactly the same as their demographic representation in the US population.

[decimon]

Blacks were 7264 of the 58,193 Vietnam deaths. 12.5%, almost exactly the same as their demographic representation in the US population.

That is in line with what I've read.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

At least one source (take it for what it's worth) claims that the proportion of blacks killed was higher early in the war, and it was only under pressure from above that the numbers leveled out as the war went on.

[decimon]

Could be. It could be that blacks were disproportionately drafted early on. I went in at the very end of 1965 and can’t say I saw that, though.

[TheOldLady]

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[colorado tanker]

The casualty difference wasn't a great as many people think. In the Vietnam War proportionally more African-Americans were in the Army's combat branches but they only suffered approximately 1% more of the casualties than their proportion of total Army personnel.

Today, the situation has reversed with proportionally more African-Americans in support branches, which is a matter of self-selection. It seems blacks are more likely to use Army service as a way to acquire skills perceived to be more useful in civilian life while more white kids are the gung-ho send me to the Infantry and let me kill bad guys types.

[GraceG]

Vegans have always been with us and they always end up extinct.

[Beowulf9]

“They contributed to the breakdown indiscipline and drug use that became problems during Vietnam.”

Personally, I blame the Beatles for that.

[Little Bill]

You have to remember that Johnsons 100K also was a part of a lowering of standards across the military, you too Marines.

It sucked, those people were disciplinary problems and general f**K ups, I was lucky to have some broken bones that got me out in 8/68, my stepbrother, Marine 2-7 second tour, said they drove him nuts.