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Thursday, April 19, 2007
RESPECTED ANTHROPOLOGIST SAY WHAT!?
Interesting article on Harvard anthropologist Daniel Lieberman's theories on why humans evolved to become "the animal world’s best distance runners." He thinks humans voluntarily engage in long-distance running because primitive Homo erectus had to use a technique called "persistence hunting," by which our ancestors would "[chase] a game animal during the heat of the day, making it run faster than it could maintain, tracking and flushing it if it tried to rest, and repeating the process until the animal literally overheated and collapsed."
I kind of think that this is what happened to Don Imus.
Of Lieberman's theory, a former professor of mine wrote, "I don't think many people take stock in his 'bipedality evolved for marathon-running' hypothesis; but he's at Harvard, and people listen to him." Ultimately, it seems that the hypothesis amounts to an evolutionary parallel of the old axiom that slow and steady wins the race.
What brings to mind images of slow and steady better than the tortoise? Nothing! “Humans are terrible athletes in terms of power and speed, but we’re phenomenal at slow and steady. We’re the tortoises of the animal kingdom, " Lieberman explained.
And....I'm not sure, but...I think I've found the big hole in his theory, for I'm no anthropologist, but I would posit that tortoises are, in fact, the tortoises of the animal kingdom.
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COMMENTS
I really enjoy your my space music page Jan, all should visit!
"I kind of think that this is what happened to Don Imus."
I think he was forced to adapt, migrate or die....
Posted by: Super Amanda at April 19, 2007 2:54 PM
Interesting theory, I'm more into th "running away from things" and covering a lot of ground to control feeding territory, but he IS at Harvard.
Imus was definitely persistence hunted, but part of the predator's function is to cull the weak, sick and injured members of the herd. There's still big fat healthy assholes roaming the digital savannah.
Posted by: steven "persistence hunting a Toblerone" felty at April 19, 2007 3:22 PM
i wanted to extend that metaphor myself, steven, but it was late and i was far to exhausted to be getting all cintra wilson and hyperbolic with it...so i appreciate your running with it!
and yes, thank you amanda! it should be visited by everyone!
--adam
Posted by: jan von sontag at April 19, 2007 4:43 PM
Well you have to leave us something to work with.
"getting all cintra wilson and hyperbolic with it." Oh she's gonna beat you about the head and afro for that. No nerf bat either.
Posted by: steven at April 19, 2007 4:58 PM
"And....I'm not sure, but...I think I've found the big hole in his theory, for I'm no anthropologist, but I would posit that tortoises are, in fact, the tortoises of the animal kingdom."
I laughed so hard at this line. Indeed, the quote itself is thoroughly ridiculous. Nice metaphor, Mister Scientist.
Posted by: Andew at April 20, 2007 3:31 PM
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