Nov 01, 1982 the aquatic ape hypothesis is one such. General problems with the aath the method of the aquatic ape theory aath in this section i try to present, as simply as possible, the problems with the way the aath is argued, broadly divided into basic problems with the use and misuse of evolutionary principles by aath proponents, and the many logical fallacies that aath accounts typically fall into. Aquatic ape hypothesis the aquatic ape hypothesis was first proposed by the german pathologist max westenhofer in 1942 and later by the english marine biologist alister hardy in 1960. He calls this one of the features that clearly contradict the savanna theory andor favour the semi aquatic theory.
The aquatic ape theory was an attempted explanation for why humans differ so much from the other great apes. The aquatic ape theory suggests that when our ancestors moved onto the savanna they were already different from apes. The hypothesis is troubled by inconsistencies and has not been reconciled with the fossil record. Pdf have we already tested the aquatic ape hypothesis.
It suggests that the significant loss of body hair, bipedalism, and other characteristics evolved some time earlier in an aquatic or semiaquatic environment, when the human and ape lines first diverged. According to its proponents, our ancient ancestors would have spent a great deal of time in the water, perhaps the majority of the day, and would have begun to exhibit certain evolutionary adaptations to this lifestyle. Yes, semi aquatic is a good term, but biologically more correct imo is littoral, e. It has some supporting evidence or, rather, it isnt definitively contradicted by the evidence that there is. The most credible theory of human evolution retro classics kindle edition by morgan, elaine.
Sorry david attenborough, we didnt evolve from aquatic. It suggests that the significant loss of body hair, bipedalism, and other characteristics evolved some time earlier in an aquatic or semi aquatic environment, when the human and ape lines first diverged. But that doesnt mean aquatic habitats didnt play some. The aquatic ape theory is yet another that explains the origins of bipedalism to some extent. The features distinguishing them are far more varied than the features dividing other pairs of species which are so closely genetically related.
I did check the wiki, and the aah quite honestly seems ridiculous just from the start. In that case, there are several, and they dive too, and no, they are not mostly bipedal as aquatic ape proponents often claim. These things dont mean that his aquatic ape theory couldnt be a good theory he certainly had done lots of very good work as a scientist but it does indicate that he wasnt adverse to tripping over the fuzzier edges that mark the border between science and pseudoscience. Nov 26, 2010 so she continued to write and publish four more books on the theory, called the aquatic ape, the descent of the child, the aquatic ape hypothesis and the scars of evolution. The waterside hypothesis requires a rethinking of human evolution. Common misconceptions and unproven assumptions about the socalled aquatic ape hypothesis by verhaegen m. It is best known to the public through the writings of elaine morgan, who argued that head hair lengthened during an aquatic phase of human evolution that. In support of the aquatic ape theory the post glacial. We walk upright all the time, we dont have fur, we have bigger brains and are less robust, and so on. This is also being reflected in other books and magazines dealing with human evolution. The aquatic ape idea is at best a hypothesis, and most of its critics refer to it as a hypothesis. Constraining the aquatic ape hypothesis from the pendulum to. Some ignore it, some ridicule it, some are convinced that its the truth and some have never heard of it.
Morgans study considers characteristics of the human development and form that lend themselves to the water. Popularized in the 1970s and 1980s by writer elaine morgan, the theory suggests that early hominids lived in water at least part of the time. Plankton is one of the basic components of the marine food chain, and his work was very important to the british fishing industry, not to mention everybody elses. Better terms are in my opinion the coastal dispersal model munro, 2010 or the littoral theory of human evolution, but although littoral seems to be a more appropriate biologi cal term here than aquatic, throughout this paper i will use the wellknown and common. You have to examine the aquatic ape hypothesis aah of hardy and morgan. In discussions of human origins invariably rest on rather shaky foundations. In the program, they interview free diver sara campell who went from a total beginner to a holder of three world records in just eight.
The hypothesis was met with so much criticism that its not even mentioned in human evolution textbooks. Why anthropologists dont accept the aquatic ape theory. Like modern whales that evolved from land mammals long ago, is it possible that a species of ape, descended from the same ancestors as we humans, may have evolved a flipper tail while retaining a humanlike upper body. General problems with the aath aquatic ape hypothesis. It had done so before for many aquatic mammals, but none of them had returned to live on the land. What is the aquatic ape hypothesis and why is it largely. It was williams who first coined the term aquarboreal to describe a wadingclimbing component to the locomotor repertoire, used by verhaegen et al.
The aquatic ape theory aat is one of the more successful alternatives to orthodox human evolution theory. A primer on the practical applications of electricity, a modular essay about the authors internal cardiac defibrillator and the. The aquatic ape hypothesis is the idea that our ancestors went through an aquatic mammal evolutionary stage. Morgans view 1997 is that hairlessness and high levels of body fat evolved in. This essay explores one example of these models, the aquatic ape hypothesis, the proponents of which continue to argue that they have not received a fair hearing among anthropologists. Key proponents of aat aquatic ape theory hypothesis.
As i understand it, it is the general idea that modern humans evolved from aquatic mammals. Alister hardys original aquatic ape theory i hadnt actually intended to do more than a passing critique of alister hardys original theory. Excellent new theory concerning the aquatic ape hypothesis. There is no scientific evidence supporting the aquatic ape hypothesis. Popularized in the 1970s and 1980s by writer elaine morgan, the theory. The many theories behind human bipedalism hubpages. Apr 11, 20 the aquatic ape theory suggests that when our ancestors moved onto the savanna they were already different from apes.
The aquatic environment selected for a major change in the architecture of our pelvis. The aquatic ape theory is large enough in scope to be called a theory. Apr 29, 2017 the waterside hypothesis requires a rethinking of human evolution. Ether oar after all geographer make sure to like and subscribe to. The aquatic ape theory states that our ancestors once spent a significant part of their life in water. Contrary to its cryptozoological title, its actually more about real history than it sounds, but thats a story for another day. Marc verhaegen and the aath aquatic ape theory aat. The aquatic ape theory suggests that the division of the chimpanzee and human evolution branches was caused because some of our early ancestors moved into a semi aquatic environment in which they developed some characteristics that define us today. T he first, the role of the aquatic in human evolution. The aquatic ape theory on the other hand picks out one of all these environments and says. So she continued to write and publish four more books on the theory, called the aquatic ape, the descent of the child, the aquatic ape hypothesis and the scars of evolution. The aquatic ape theory is highly controversial to say the least.
Apr 11, 2020 this is known as the aquatic ape theory hypothesis. As a result, the aah website is considerably biased and outdated, relying chiefly on the 1987 valkenburg conference roede et al. He first encountered the aquatic ape hypothesis in 1970 when he read morris the naked ape and became a proponent from 1973 after he encountered elaine morgans the descent of woman. The aquatic ape theory was proposed mainly because the current human evolution theory faces many problems, most of which remain unresolved. Moores the aquatic ape, in which the author explores the curious design and necessity of sinuses. Did some of our human features evolve while our ancestors were living in water. Mostly, the savannah or mosaic theory are taken for granted, and forms a basis for further reasoning. As we will document, aat has as many or more problems than st, but it does effectively document the many shortcomings of the savannah hypothesis. Aquatic ape theory does present a compelling explanation for how a fully aquatic humanlike creature may have evolved. Comparative and paleoenvironmental evidence, nutrition and health, 1993, vol.
The aquatic ape hypothesis aah, often also referred to as aquatic ape theory aat, is a proposal that the evolutionary ancestors of modern humans spent a period of time adapting to a semiaquatic existence. Alister hardy sir alister hardy was a marine biologist who specialized in the study of plankton and dont even think of laughing. Aquatic ape hypothesis wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Each of the individual claims is small enough in scope to be called a hypothesis wading hypothesis, hairdrag hypothesis, fatbuoyancy hypothesis, etc. Sep 26, 2008 a 5 minute explanation of a new approach towards evolution. The hypothesis was initially proposed by the marine biologist alister hardy in 1960, who argued that a branch of apes was forced by. The aquatic ape theory has been disregarded by paleoanthropologists, but it. The aquatic ape hypothesis aah or aquatic ape theory aat is a hypothesis about human evolution which posits that the ancestors of modern humans spent a period of time adapting to a semiaquatic existence. The aquatic ape theory fails as a scientific theory because it has no supporting evidence.
Pdf on jan 31, 2020, yuichi nakazawa and others published have we already tested the aquatic ape hypothesis. Aquatic ape theory, speech origins, and brain differences with apes and monkeys article pdf available in medical hypotheses 445. May 20, 2017 the aquatic ape theory suggest that the main reason why we differ from gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos which all share a common ancestor with us is that humans adapted to live in aquatic environments, while apes did not. While some paleoanthropologists remain skeptical, data from diverse biological and anthropological disciplines leave little doubt that human ancestors were at some point in our past semi aquatic. Umbrella hypotheses and parsimony in human evolution.
The aquatic ape hypothesis aah, also referred to as aquatic ape theory aat is the idea that ancestors of modern humans were more aquatic than those of other great apes the hypothesis was initially proposed by the marine biologist alister hardy in 1960, who argued that a branch of apes was forced by competition over terrestrial habitats to hunt for food such as shellfish on the sea shore. The aquatic ape hypothesis aah, also referred to as aquatic ape theory aat proposes an alternative view of hominin evolution. I confess a certain personal interest in the matter. The argument for the aquatic ape theory was based mainly on facts of comparative anatomy. The aquatic ape hypothesis aah, also referred to as aquatic ape theory aat is the idea that ancestors of modern humans were more aquatic than those of. The term aquatic ape gives an incorrect impression of our semi aquatic ancestors. Chapter four the aquatic ape theory mermaids are real.
You have to examine the aquatic ape hypothesis aah of. Humans differ from apes in a surprising number of ways. Darwin theory demands that transformations at each stage should be beneficial to survival or they will be removed by natural selections. Most of the features of human physiology are rare or unique among land mammals, but are common among aquatic ones. Evidence and a possible scenario article pdf available in medical hypotheses 161. In the program, they interview free diver sara campell who went from a total beginner to a. Hear her spirited defense of the idea and her theory on why science doesnt take it seriously.
We did, and found an environment suited to a bipedal ape. Few things show the distinctiveness of human evolution research better than the aquatic ape hypothesis aah. In 1967, the hypothesis was briefly mentioned in the naked ape, a book by desmond morris 1928 in which can be found the first use of the term aquatic ape. Proponents of the aquatic ape theory compare the predictions of their model with the predictions that they derive for a traditionalist model, which they term the. Mythical creatures submitted to science objectives.
Pdf few things show the distinctiveness of human evolution research better than the aquatic ape hypothesis aah. Hominids all diverged from common ancestors, but homo sapiens more radically so. In a 2016 september bbc radio program titled the waterside ape, sir david attenbourough presents new evidence for the waterside theory that have been published in recent years. It is not a theory in the scientific sense due to a want of evidence, it is more like a fringe idea. Aquatic ape theory explains lots of featured unique to humans and totally absent in apes. The aquatic ape hypothesis download the aquatic ape hypothesis ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format.
The current marchapril 2014 issue of evolutionary anthropology is rare in that it contains two papers specifically critiquing the socalled aquatic ape hypothesis abbreviated aah, but better labelled, in the plural, waterside hypotheses of human evolution. Big brains, no fur, sinuses are these clues to our. Contrast the case made for the savannah theory of bipedalism also known as the radiator theory with the case elaine. The writer elaine morgan championed it in her book the aquatic ape, and developed the hypothesis further, marshalling a seemingly impressive range of characteristics to support it, including. The aquatic ape theory proposes that such an aquatic phase, during which ancestral hominids relied on a water habitat, explains much of the distinctive anatomy of recent humans. The aquatic ape theory graham hancock official website. This suggests that the split with the apes was either. The aquatic ape theory is something i first heard about from one of my favourite blogs, mermaids are real, which is actually a published book as well. A new aquatic ape theory science smithsonian magazine. Aquatic ape hypothesis captain cynic science forum. He had seen a television special on the theory and briefly followed up with a search of the scientific literature, but. But lately online theres been a fair bit of parrying valid arguments by falsely claiming that the critics point can only be made by stretching the aat into some parody of itself. The most credible theory of human evolution retro classics elaine morgan. May, 20 i first learned of elaine morgan and the aquatic ape theory from a botanist.
Im going to call it that today because thats what its creators named it, but do note that nothing has ever been done in anthropology that could conceivably elevate the aquatic ape. And none have been quite so controversial as the aquatic ape hypothesis. Her persistence paid off as the aquatic ape theory began to be discussed in scientific journals, but her success meant that she was open to attack. The aquatic ape hypothesis another idea is that between 6 and 8 myr ago, the ancestors to the hominids had a 1 or 2 million year phase of aquatic or semi aquatic existence morgan 1997.
I can see two possible future scenarios for the aquatic ape theory. The aquatic ape hypothesis aah, sometimes referred to as the aquatic ape theory, asserts that wading, swimming and diving for food exerted a strong evolutionary effect on the ancestors of the genus homo, and that this is in part responsible for the split between the common ancestors of humans and other great apes. Removing the hermetic seal from the aquatic ape hypothesis. As i have studied this idea and its reception in mainstream anthropology to phd level for the past 15 years, i was very interested to read them. The theory has also been the subject of at least two ph.
Click download or read online button to the aquatic ape hypothesis book pdf for free now. Download pdf the aquatic ape hypothesis free online new. The aquatic ape theory suggest that the main reason why we differ from gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos which all share a common ancestor with us is that humans adapted to live in aquatic environments, while apes did not. What digital items do customers buy after viewing this item. It is sad that the aquatic ape waterside theory since long has been misunderstood and rejected without further thought. Apr 27, 20 this is the aquatic ape theory and although treated with derision by some academics over the past 50 years, it is still backed by a small, but committed group of scientists. Large mammals are mobile and can disperse over large areas without being littoral consider leopards. This is the aquatic ape theory and although treated with derision by some academics over the past 50 years, it is still backed by a small, but committed group of scientists.
The aquatic ape hypothesis lays out the idea that humans evolved from primate ancestors who dwelt in watery habitats. Human evolution in the sea at bioko norwegian scitech news. I first learned of elaine morgan and the aquatic ape theory from a botanist. The aquatic ape hypothesis is a theory that, at some point in the past several million years ago, the ancestors of homo sapiens lived on the seashore and spent enough time in the water that their bodies developed a number of adaptations to an aquatic lifestyle, which remain with us today and separate us from many other primates. So the aquatic ape theory is actually pretty interesting. Elaine morgan, armed with an arsenal of television writing credits and feminist credentials, spent her life on a mission to prove humans evolved in water. The aquatic food hypothesis has been criticized on several fronts, most notably with the observation that the availability of essential fatty acids is neither ecologically nor metabolically. Find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. The aquatic ape theory or aquatic ape hypothesis has been in the air for decades now.
1665 703 125 1373 1233 183 139 606 154 1173 194 1216 1497 158 544 652 239 74 585 1294 1407 487 86 863 442 855 253 1144 1612 1182 1198 85 919 861 160 726 1409 40 407 409 435