Darwin-L Message Log 5:168 (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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<5:168>From bsinger@eniac.seas.upenn.edu  Thu Jan 27 03:35:34 1994

From: bsinger@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Bayla Singer)
Subject: Re: tools
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 94 4:43:43 EST

I cannot agree with asia lerner that we are physically inferior to apes!
We most certainly can run as fast, and jump as high, as, say, gorillas &
chimps... physically fit humans are pretty awesome in their capabilities.
Just because so many of us academics aren't among the phsycially fit, is
no reason to generalize to the species :-)

Brachiating, now, -that- might be a contest the apes would win.

Which brings one to a second point: fitness is relative to the lifestyle
of the species in question.  We're not as hairy as our ancestral forms,
either: does that make us less fit?  Have we really lost survival and/or
reproductive fitness because of our nakedness?

--bayla singer   bsinger@eniac.seas.upenn.edu

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