Posted on 02/19/2006 12:18:49 PM PST by blam
Predators 'drove human evolution'
By Paul Rincon
BBC News science reporter, St Louis
The alternative view that man was the one hunted was suggested
The popular view of our ancient ancestors as hunters who conquered all in their way is wrong, researchers have told a major US science conference.
Instead, they say, early humans were on the menu for predatory beasts.
This may have driven humans to evolve increased levels of co-operation, according to their theory.
Despite humankind's considerable capacity for war and violence, we are highly sociable animals, according to anthropologists.
James Rilling at Emory University in Atlanta, US, has been using brain imaging techniques to investigate the biological mechanisms behind co-operation.
He has imaged the brains of people playing a game under experimental conditions that involved choosing between co-operation and non-co-operation.
From the parts of the brain that were activated during the game, he found that mutual co-operation is rewarding; people reacted negatively when partners did not co-operate.
Dr Rilling also discovered that his subjects seemed to have enhanced memory for those people that did not reciprocate in the experiment.
Man 'the hunted'
By contrast, our closest relatives - chimpanzees - have been shown not to come to the aid of others, even when it would pose no cost to themselves.
"Our intelligence, co-operation and many other features we have as modern humans developed from our attempts to out-smart the predator," said Robert Sussman of Washington University in St Louis.
According to the theory espoused by Professor Sussman, early humans evolved not as hunters but as prey for animals such as wild dogs, cats, hyenas, eagles and crocodiles.
He points to the example of one ape-like species thought to be ancestral to humans, Australopithecus afarensis.
A. afarensis was what is known as an "edge species"; it could live in trees and on the ground, and could take advantage of both.
"Primates that are edge species, even today, are basically prey species, not predators," Professor Sussman explained.
Hard target
Dr Agustin Fuentes at the University of Notre Dame agrees with the predation hypothesis.
He believes early humans were subject to several evolutionary pressures, including predation.
But he also thinks they were expending more energy at this time and that child-rearing became more demanding.
All these factors contributed to an emergence of sociable behaviour in hominids that made them harder targets for predators.
Dr Fuentes points to fossil evidence of predation in two different groups of humanlike species: Australopithecus and Paranthropus.
The latter group, it appears, could not adapt to pressures such as predation, and became extinct between one and 1.2 million years ago.
The scientists outlined their work at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in St Louis,
We saw this in Ice Age. Humans are part of the food chain.
that would be embarrassing. to be eaten by a giant armidillo.
It all comes down to "sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you". The family of hominids is notoriously slow of foot and if caught out in the open probably easy meat for most large predators.
It has been postulated that Human radiation into North America was hindered by the large and nasty population of carnivores such as the Short Faced Bear.
Not nearly as embarrassing as getting eaten by a giant beaver.
(Somewhere, Bill "The Fox" Foster is smiling.)
Who's the waiter guy in each pic?
"Good evening, Mr. prehistoric animal. My name is Jason, how can I serve you this evening May I recommend the human baby buffet? The babies are quite plump, sir. Or would you prefer a succulent young adult female?"
The 'Taung' child (2Mya) might have been killed by a bird of prey. A triangular shaped hole in the skull is similar to what is produced by an eagle's talon. In addition there was som damage around the eye sockets indicating a bird attempting to get at the brain.
And by 'cats', I think they something larger than Garfield.
8 out of 11 of these large animal species died out 10,000 years ago -- with the advent of humans in N. America.
Not a coincidence. The ancestors of native Americans are believed to have hunted some of them to extinction. A warming climate change may have had an effect, as well.
RUS - Rodent of Unusual Size.
The Predator continues to help out evolution in certain parts of the world.
Was watching a show on the Science Channel last week that credited early man's mastery of fire. Leopards were the main predators "we" had to worry about. But with a nice fire burning at the entrance to your cave, you were safe.
It's not too late. We can still become a significant part of nature's food chain once again if we will just stop destroying the Earth's natural environment and killing off the majestic creatures that nature intended to eat us.
We are, in effect, the fly in Mother Nature's ointment.
"Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist."
Just ask Timothy Treadwell if he thinks animals hunted humans...
When a dog licks you, he's kissing you.
When a cat licks you, she's tasting you.
Me either. Well, except all the 6000-year-old earth creationists who hang around FR. They think we had dominion over all the other animals from Day 1. Or rather Day 6.
Despite humankind's considerable capacity for war and violence
Came in mighty handy when our ancestors were tangling with sabre-tooth tigers who wanted them for lunch. I imagine trying to negotiate a diplomatic solution with them was about as effective as with Osama and Saddam.
Pound for pound, and species for species, humans outnumber all land animals wherever their territories meet or overlap.
Man is his own worst predator.
Despite? Nothing humans do requires more social skill than war. If two tribes get into a fight, the more social side will usually win due to better teamwork. Almost all modern human traits can be traced to its advantage in war. We walk upright to be able to carry weapons. Our long lifespan, well past breeding years, is so we have old wise men around to direct the battle. I can't figure out why anthropologists grasp at any explanation other than the real one: humans evolved from war and we are by nature war makers.
There were some BIG eagles back then. Something like three times the size of what we have now. And cats can include lions, leopards, pumas and so forth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.