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What Happened to the Hominids Who May Have Been Smarter Than Us?
discovermagazine.com ^ | December 28, 2009 | Gary Lynch and Richard Granger

Posted on 01/05/2010 12:54:26 AM PST by Bobalu

Two neuroscientists say that a now-extinct race of humans had big eyes, child-like faces, and an average intelligence of around 150, making them geniuses among Homo sapiens.

The history of evolutionary studies has been dogged by the intuitively attractive, almost irresistible idea that the whole great process leads to greater complexity, to animals that are more advanced than their predecessors. The pre-Darwin theories of evolution were built around this idea; in fact, Darwin’s (and Wallace’s) great and radical contribution was to throw out the notion of “progress” and replace it with selection from among a set of random variations. But people do not easily escape from the idea of progress. We’re drawn to the idea that we are the end point, the pinnacle not only of the hominids but of all animal life.

Boskops argue otherwise. They say that humans with big brains, and perhaps great intelligence, occupied a substantial piece of southern Africa in the not very distant past, and that they eventually gave way to smaller-brained, possibly less advanced Homo sapiens—that is, ourselves.

(Excerpt) Read more at discovermagazine.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: boskop; creation; darwinism; evolution; genetics; godsgravesglyphs; hominids
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To: Bobalu
They say that humans with big brains, and perhaps great intelligence ...

Why do scientists insist on speculating when they have no evidence to do so? Sure you can conclude from physical evidence that these creatures' brains must have been large but you cannot speculate as to their intelligence. I could write the same thing and say they were "perhaps incredibly stupid" based on the same "reasoning."

21 posted on 01/05/2010 3:39:43 AM PST by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
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To: Bobalu

“Boskops argue otherwise. They say that humans with big brains, and perhaps great intelligence, occupied a substantial piece of southern Africa in the not very distant past, and that they eventually gave way to smaller-brained, possibly less advanced Homo sapiens—that is, ourselves.”

They probably became liberals that were to smart for their britches, and they gave the vote to all the dummies (us) and they were taxed and worked to extinction! ;-)


22 posted on 01/05/2010 3:43:11 AM PST by Dem Guard
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To: Bobalu
What happened??

The big brains developed the concept of "pacifism", which turned out not to be a survival trait.

23 posted on 01/05/2010 3:45:44 AM PST by Wonder Warthog
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To: Bobalu
What Happened to the Hominids Who May Have Been Smarter Than Us?

They went to work for the MSM.
24 posted on 01/05/2010 3:48:49 AM PST by ComputerGuy (People who think they know everything annoy those of use who do)
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To: stormer

Is that Bill Gates? Front row, left?


25 posted on 01/05/2010 4:04:14 AM PST by SnarlinCubBear (Sarcasma - Comforting relief from the use of irony, mocking and conveying contempt)
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To: Bobalu
What Happened to the Hominids Who May Have Been Smarter Than Us?

They only thought they were smarter than us. They inevitably became leftists. They attempted to make "peace" with their predators and now their species is extinct.

26 posted on 01/05/2010 4:14:03 AM PST by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: pnh102

These idiots are “profiling” the intelligence of the monkeys based on their apperance. There is just no way they can know they had an average IQ of 150 based on appearance.

The same people that believe in this junk science are the same ones that believe in global warming, probably decendants of the monkeys the article is about. Demoncraps that think with their emotions instead of logic.


27 posted on 01/05/2010 4:34:05 AM PST by redfreedom (Just a simpleton enjoying the freedoms a fly-over/red state has to offer.)
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To: Bobalu

Where did they go?

As extreme intellectuals, they found the joy of being gay and as they all became gay their efforts to reproduce failed due to an error in calculating (intellectuals do that) the placement of their reproductive tools.

Due to this error, the species failed to exist.


28 posted on 01/05/2010 4:46:35 AM PST by DH (The government writes no bill that does not line the pockets of special interests.)
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To: Bobalu

A very large brain means that a mother has a higher chance of fatality delivering a child with such a large head. The other option is to deliver a less developed child who will be weaker, sicklier and dependent for much longer. Neither is very desirable option.


29 posted on 01/05/2010 4:48:56 AM PST by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
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To: Bobalu
Instead of "Are you smarter than a 5th grader, it should be Are you smarter than a chimpanzee?
30 posted on 01/05/2010 5:00:48 AM PST by SC DOC
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To: Bobalu

Interestingly, the debunker of the Boskop man - one John Hawks, just happens to be from Madison, Wi - bastion of liberalism wherein it its well known that liberals have the biggest brains ever, which is why they now run Europe, Britan and the US. There is no way that any previous human species could have bigger brains and be more intelligent than any present day liberal!

As Hawks says about Boskop:
“Extrapolated straight from worlds that never happened!”


31 posted on 01/05/2010 5:02:54 AM PST by PIF
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To: stormer

That is SO bad. I can’t stop chuckling.


32 posted on 01/05/2010 5:07:10 AM PST by Lee'sGhost (Johnny Rico picked the wrong girl!)
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To: LegendHasIt

I had a similar thought.

Liberal democrats feared them, banned them from speaking, then stoned them to death.


33 posted on 01/05/2010 5:09:13 AM PST by Lee'sGhost (Johnny Rico picked the wrong girl!)
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To: Bobalu
Boskops argue otherwise. They say that humans with big brains, and

perhaps

great intelligence,

Another ASSuption made by the self-described intellectual elite among us. I wonder how long it will be before that makes its way into public high school science textbooks.

34 posted on 01/05/2010 5:29:53 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Bobalu

35 posted on 01/05/2010 5:35:27 AM PST by scoobysnak71 (Just a national security threat, trying to get a nut.)
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To: GeorgeSaden
"....yet they were intelligent enough to live in organized societies.

So do bees and Ants.

36 posted on 01/05/2010 5:39:34 AM PST by Calamari (Pass enough laws and everyone is guilty of something.)
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To: scoobysnak71

37 posted on 01/05/2010 5:41:00 AM PST by Bobalu (I AM JIM THOMPSON)
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To: Bobalu

Could that be the next step in Doogies evolution?


38 posted on 01/05/2010 5:42:50 AM PST by scoobysnak71 (Just a national security threat, trying to get a nut.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Really? Lucky for you, that’s Bill gates down in the lower left corner of the pic.


39 posted on 01/05/2010 6:11:40 AM PST by valkyry1
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To: GeorgeSaden
Reminds me of the SNL skit with Steve Martin where he, as a caveman, discovers fire.

A cavewoman admires his accomplishment and takes a liking to him. A second caveman looks on enviously, hits Steve Martin on the head with a rock, killing him, and gains the attention of the cavewoman.

Rock wielder Bill Murray: "I am strong. And, now I am smart."

40 posted on 01/05/2010 7:16:04 AM PST by Pearls Before Swine
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