Darwin-L Message Log 5:31 (January 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<5:31>From PICARD@Vax2.Concordia.CA  Fri Jan  7 17:37:10 1994

Date: Fri, 07 Jan 1994 18:39:58 -0500 (EST)
From: MARC PICARD <PICARD@Vax2.Concordia.CA>
Subject: Aquatic apes revisited
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu

A few months ago, I inquired about a documentary I had seen some years
back called WATER BABIES.  I learned from the discussion that ensued that
it stemmed from a theory that had been propounded mainly by Elaine Morgan
who had picked up on an idea first put forth by Sir Alister Hardy that
our ancestors had been aquatic apes.

I would now like to report that I have just finished reading Morgan's
THE AQUATIC APE: A THEORY OF HUMAN EVOLUTION (Souvenir Press, 1982), and
that I find this theory of human evolution utterly fascinating and
EXTREMELY convincing. What I would like now is for someone to suggest
some work that argues in the same dispassionate, systematic and
methodical way against this theory and in favor of some other interpretation
(savannah, neoteny, or whatever). Let me just say one thing right now, though:
THIS BETTER BE GOOD!

Marc Picard

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