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Domitian · Guest

Why are early hominids depicted as fearful creatures scratching out an
existence in an environment that has them in a constant state of fear?
Even the BBC>s otherwise excellent series "Walking with Cavemen"
begins with the idea: "At first, we were afraid." And these fearful
depictions often made of enormously successful species of hominids
such as Neanderthals or Homo Erectus -- species that flourished
hundreds of thousands of years longer than we moderns have yet to!
Join my trumpet call to debunk the idea of "Fearful Cavemen." We
project our own fears on early hominids because, imaging ourselves
stripped of our manufactured comforts and reduced to the circumstances
in which early species of hominids lived, we ourselves would be
afraid. But we are not them, and they are not us. Granted, certain
events and moments in the short and brutal life of any given early
Neanderthal or Homo Erectus must have caused that individual fear.
That individual may have been sometimes afraid and must have been
always wary. Yet I ask you, can that individual>s entire species be
characterized as existing in a state of constant fear? I think not.
Early hominids were as unafraid and at home in their natural
environments as we are in our automobiles.

Spiznet · Guest

Olybrius2@aol.com (Domitian) wrote in message news:<e1a25c08.0308201811.6c6db6b3@posting.google.com>...
[quote]Why are early hominids depicted as fearful creatures scratching out an
existence in an environment that has them in a constant state of fear?
Even the BBC>s otherwise excellent series "Walking with Cavemen"
begins with the idea: "At first, we were afraid." And these fearful
depictions often made of enormously successful species of hominids
such as Neanderthals or Homo Erectus -- species that flourished
hundreds of thousands of years longer than we moderns have yet to!
Join my trumpet call to debunk the idea of "Fearful Cavemen." We
project our own fears on early hominids because, imaging ourselves
stripped of our manufactured comforts and reduced to the circumstances
in which early species of hominids lived, we ourselves would be
afraid. But we are not them, and they are not us. Granted, certain
events and moments in the short and brutal life of any given early
Neanderthal or Homo Erectus must have caused that individual fear.
That individual may have been sometimes afraid and must have been
always wary. Yet I ask you, can that individual>s entire species be
characterized as existing in a state of constant fear? I think not.
Early hominids were as unafraid and at home in their natural
environments as we are in our automobiles.
[/quote]
Plus: gas prices were alot lower.

Mario Petrinovich · Guest

Domitian :
[quote]Why are early hominids depicted as fearful creatures scratching out an
existence in an environment that has them in a constant state of fear?
Even the BBC>s otherwise excellent series "Walking with Cavemen"
begins with the idea: "At first, we were afraid." And these fearful
depictions often made of enormously successful species of hominids
such as Neanderthals or Homo Erectus -- species that flourished
hundreds of thousands of years longer than we moderns have yet to!
Join my trumpet call to debunk the idea of "Fearful Cavemen." We
project our own fears on early hominids because, imaging ourselves
stripped of our manufactured comforts and reduced to the circumstances
in which early species of hominids lived, we ourselves would be
afraid. But we are not them, and they are not us. Granted, certain
events and moments in the short and brutal life of any given early
Neanderthal or Homo Erectus must have caused that individual fear.
That individual may have been sometimes afraid and must have been
always wary. Yet I ask you, can that individual>s entire species be
characterized as existing in a state of constant fear? I think not.
Early hominids were as unafraid and at home in their natural
environments as we are in our automobiles.
[/quote]
They definitely were. Afraid would be in environment which isn>t
natural to them. This can tell you a lot about what authors of that series
think about how truthful their story is. -- Mario

Yahoo! AAT group

Spiznet · Guest

Olybrius2@aol.com (Domitian) wrote in message news:<e1a25c08.0308201811.6c6db6b3@posting.google.com>...
[quote]Why are early hominids depicted as fearful creatures scratching out an
existence in an environment that has them in a constant state of fear?
[/quote]
No, seriously, I agree with you.

Chimps and other great apes are extremely comfortable in their
respective environments and you would expect the same for a hominid
more advanced, with even more child-rearing/childbearing requirements,
and less physical strength.

In order to have survived at all, these high-maintenence rascals must
have been on top or near the top of all the ecosystems they chose to
exploit, which turned out to be quite a few (Homo Erectus expansion
thruout the world- 2mya is pretty impressive).

The difficulties of the ice ages seem to be the worst of the
environmental conditions, and by that time at least they had a little
technology...

-Mark

Bob Keeter · Guest

"Domitian" <Olybrius2@aol.com> wrote in message
news:e1a25c08.0308201811.6c6db6b3@posting.google.com...
[quote]Why are early hominids depicted as fearful creatures scratching out an
existence in an environment that has them in a constant state of fear?
[/quote]
Because they taste good with fava beans and a nice chianti! ;-)

Seriously, look at ANY animal that has natural predators. All are "running
scared" to one degree or another. Consider the antelope on the savanna!
One slight noise, one minor flick of motion and the whole herd stampedes.
Its a basic survival instinct, the left half of the "flee or fight" reaction
that spawned adreneline (or was that the other way around?) .

Bottom line: If you ain>t the biggest baddest 900lb primate in the valley.
.. . . . . be afraid! And dont forget the leopard fang holes in that skull.

Regards
bk

Spiznet · Guest

"Bob Keeter" <rkeeter@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<3vy1b.1540$1Q3.746@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net>...
[quote]"Domitian" <Olybrius2@aol.com> wrote in message
news:e1a25c08.0308201811.6c6db6b3@posting.google.com...
Why are early hominids depicted as fearful creatures scratching out an
existence in an environment that has them in a constant state of fear?

Because they taste good with fava beans and a nice chianti! ;-)

Seriously, look at ANY animal that has natural predators. All are "running
scared" to one degree or another. Consider the antelope on the savanna!
One slight noise, one minor flick of motion and the whole herd stampedes.
Its a basic survival instinct, the left half of the "flee or fight" reaction
that spawned adreneline (or was that the other way around?) .

Bottom line: If you ain>t the biggest baddest 900lb primate in the valley.
. . . . . be afraid! And dont forget the leopard fang holes in that skull.

Regards
bk
[/quote]
Bob-
1) Are you saying that chimps and gorillas act scared?
2) Or are you saying that 1000 strong herds of a>pith roamed grazing
and bolted at the first signal of danger and that their young were
adults by age 1 or 2?

I think the reason why the a>piths in "Cavemen" were scared was that
the program>s script writers and director had them out on the tree>d
savanna 2mya before they were ever there, and this would be natural
behaviour for them IF THEY HAD BEEN THERE. Just like it IS natural
behaviour for those grazing herds of yours ("Consider the antelope on
the savanna!" above)

-Mark

Tedd · Guest

"Domitian" <Olybrius2@aol.com> wrote in message
news:e1a25c08.0308201811.6c6db6b3@posting.google.com...
[quote]Why are early hominids depicted as fearful creatures scratching out an
existence in an environment that has them in a constant state of fear?
Even the BBC>s otherwise excellent series "Walking with Cavemen"
begins with the idea: "At first, we were afraid." And these fearful
depictions often made of enormously successful species of hominids
such as Neanderthals or Homo Erectus -- species that flourished
hundreds of thousands of years longer than we moderns have yet to!
Join my trumpet call to debunk the idea of "Fearful Cavemen." We
project our own fears on early hominids because, imaging ourselves
stripped of our manufactured comforts and reduced to the circumstances
in which early species of hominids lived, we ourselves would be
afraid. But we are not them, and they are not us. Granted, certain
events and moments in the short and brutal life of any given early
Neanderthal or Homo Erectus must have caused that individual fear.
That individual may have been sometimes afraid and must have been
always wary. Yet I ask you, can that individual>s entire species be
characterized as existing in a state of constant fear? I think not.
Early hominids were as unafraid and at home in their natural
environments as we are in our automobiles.
[/quote]
you need to consider the target audience for that type of television
programming. its founded more on the aspect of 'entertainment' than
'factuality'. they prefer the 'facts' to fit their storyline. the old
documentaries about the sex life of the honeybee were just not getting the
ratings.

"tune in next week as we present 'Nanuk of the North'."

Tedd · Guest

"Mario Petrinovich" <mario.petrinovic@zg.tel.hr> wrote in message
news:bi9ime$otu$1@ls219.htnet.hr...
[quote]Bob Keeter :
snip
I think the reason why the a>piths in "Cavemen" were scared was that
the program>s script writers and director had them out on the tree>d
savanna 2mya before they were ever there, and this would be natural
behaviour for them IF THEY HAD BEEN THERE. Just like it IS natural
behaviour for those grazing herds of yours ("Consider the antelope on
the savanna!" above)

And again NO. Just because the hominids obviously DID live in open areas,
perhaps they found ways to overcome their fear, just like the old grayback
gorilla that will turn and face off against a predator (or human) to
protect
his family group, even though obviously afraid of his pursuer. Give him a
nice sturdy tree limb in his hands, and he might even turn the tables (at
least he would with me! That fear response is still a very healthy thing
for some of us! ;-) )

Why mighty gorilla doesn>t take sturdy tree limb himself?
Domitian, take a good look at what Bob is saying, and you will find
an excellent example of how intelligent human is capable of fooling himself
endlessly. -- Mario
[/quote]
absolutely!! i know i am afraid of my environment! what with acid rain, the hole
in the ozone, depletion of the rain forests, five o>clock traffic, my wife,...

yes, i live in constant fear. perhaps once we all become extinct the next
hominid species will say we "were afraid".

Mario Petrinovich · Guest

Mario Petrinovich :
[quote]Tedd :
absolutely!! i know i am afraid of my environment! what with acid rain,
the hole
in the ozone, depletion of the rain forests, five o>clock traffic, my
wife,...

yes, i live in constant fear. perhaps once we all become extinct the
next hominid species will say we "were afraid".

You only think you are living in fear. You actually don>t know
what
fear is. These are apstract things, what you are mentioning. You will not
die tomorrow.
Take a look at this. They made two rats fight. One won, one lost.
Then they>ve put them in two cages, one next to the other, so that both
can
see each other. Very shortly afterwards loser died. Just out of looking at
the winner. You don>t live in fear, but people for sure will leave in fear
in "Cavemen" scenario. This fear is the only realistic thing in that
scenario, and is indication of how this scenario is truthful. -- Mario
[/quote]
BTW, even the antelopes of savanna, that Bob is mentioning, will not
die tomorrow, so they don>t have to be so afraid. Only old and ill will die.
Strong will run, can use their hooves and horns. Which they have attached to
them, and don>t have to search for them in grass.
Ah, I see. We didn>t have to run because we were smart. Lets see how
smart you are, and how fast you will find out what is wrong with that
sentence.
And then there is another argument. We didn>t have to run because we
had something which no other animal have. Something uniquely human. Some
divine spark hit us someday in our past. That spark triggered things which
distinguish us from all the other animals. We became AWARE of ourselves, and
of world around us. This is why we are so different, this is why we are so
unique, this is why we can be in some unfriendly environment, and still
survive. Lol, I will die of laughter. -- Mario


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