Was Man more aquatic in the past? Editors: Mario Vaneechoutte, Algis Kuliukas, and Marc Verhaegen Bentham e-Books, 2011. ISBN 978-1-60805-244-8 Foreword:

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Was Man more aquatic in the past?Editors: Mario Vaneechoutte, Algis Kuliukas, and Marc VerhaegenBentham e-Books, 2011. ISBN 978-1-60805-244-8Foreword: ELAINE MORGAN1. PHILLIP TOBIAS. Revisiting water and hominin evolution2. C. LEIGH BROADHURST AND MICHAEL CRAWFORD. Littoral man and waterside woman: The crucial rôle of marine and lacustrine foods and environmental resources in the origin, migration and dominance of Homo sapiens 3. ALGIS KULIUKAS. A wading component in the origin of hominin bipedalism4. MARC VERHAEGEN, STEPHEN MUNRO, PIERRE-FRANÇOIS PUECH AND MARIO VANEECHOUTTE Early hominoids: Orthograde aquarboreals in flooded forests? 5. STEPHEN MUNRO AND MARC VERHAEGENPachyosteosclerosis in Archaic Homo: Heavy skulls for diving, heavy legs for wading?6. ALGIS V. KULIUKAS AND ELAINE MORGANAquatic scenarios in the thinking on human evolution: What are they and how do they compare? 7. ERIKA SCHAGATAYHuman breath-hold diving ability suggests a selective pressure for diving during human evolution8. MARCEL FRANCIS WILLIAMS. Marine adaptations in human kidneys9. MICHEL ODENT. Obstetrical implications of the aquatic ape hypothesis10. ANNA GISLÉN AND ERIKA SCHAGATAYSuperior underwater vision shows unexpected adaptability of the human eye11. WANG-CHAK CHAN. Human aquatic color vision12. MARIO VANEECHOUTTE, STEPHEN MUNRO AND MARC VERHAEGENSeafood, diving, song and speech13. RICHARD ELLIS. Aquagenesis: Alister Hardy, Elaine Morgan and the aquatic ape hypothesis14. TESS WILLIAMS. Just add water: The aquatic ape story in science15. ALGIS V. KULIUKAS. Rebuttal of John Langdon.

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Further argumentsNasal cycle of 90 sec: duration of dive.Spleen: collects RBCs during rest to set them free during dive. See Schagatay Chapter 7External venes on legs

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Olfactory capacities of Homo < Pan, Gorilla < other primates, tree dwellers, flying animals

< most land animals

Olfactory brain bulb ofWhales: almost absentHomo: < 1/2 of Pan, Gorilla (same body size) < 1/2 of baboon (body size: 20 kg)

Relationship to habitat (water, land, tree (air)) (Verhaegen M. 1997. In den beginne ...)° Well-developed in terrestrial animals: smell traces can be left long distance tracking of partners and predators

(even in absence of sound or vision) due to the wind direction (2D)° Reduction in primates, bats, birds:

In trees/air, odors are blown away quickly, are difficult to trace (3D)° Further reduction in Pan, Gorilla: their ancestors had semi-aquatic adaptations (?)° Further reduction in Homo: more pronounced aquatic lifestyle: frequent diving (?)° Complete reduction in fully aquatic animals: in water, smell has very little use.

Humans are extremely special primates/animals9. Reduced smell

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Raccoon(wash bear)

Humans are extremely special primates/animals***10. Increased manual dexterity and tactility

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Humans are extremely special primates/animals10. Increased manual dexterity and tactilitySomatosensory areas in the brain:disproportianately large area for fingers and mouth

3. Moreover: Were our ape ancestors purely arboreal? Or rather aquarboreal: tree + water? Moreover: Are we at present typically terrestrial? Or rather land + water?Cunnane S.: we are still very dependent on iodine and omega3 for normal brain development

Lack of iodine: cretinism. This is unexpected for a terrestrial species!

Kuliukas: we were aquatic because we were wading and beach combingVerhaegen: we were aquatic because we were (swimming and) shallow water divers

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Peter E. Wheeler: bipedality, large body size, hair loss and sweating as adapations to thermoregulation on the savannah

In fact, the savannah hypothesis has been long abandoned (only: few people seem to realize that!?)

Introduction: Reactions to the notion that our ancestors may have been more aquaticReaction 5: "No way! Everyone knows that our ancestors were savannah hunters."

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. 2011In fact, the savannah hypothesis has been long abandoned (only: few people seem to realize that!?)

Introduction: Reactions to the notion that our ancestors may have been more aquaticReaction 5: "No way! Everyone knows that our ancestors were savannah hunters."

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Somatosensory characteristics as (semi-)aquatic adaptations?Our sensing abilities (touch: sensitivity of skin) equal those of apesEarly primates had already increased sensing abilities: life in trees

Located in postcentral cortex (areas 3-1-2) (PCC): 50% larger in Homo than in Pan, Gorilla

Size of the 4 regions (head, arms, legs and trunk (torso))° Pan, Gorilla: all 4 approximately equal° Homo: see next slide: head: half of the PCC, of which half for mouth and throat arms: same as Pan, Gorilla, but almost exclusively for fingers/thumb legs and feet: reduced trunk: sameIn summary: Homo vs Pan, Gorilla: increased sensitivity, which is located in finger tops, lips and tongue

(Semi-)aquatic explanation?° Hands, fingertops vs feet:Pan, Gorilla: same size of PCC regionHomo: Cortex for sensitivity of the hands is five times larger than for feet as in e.g. the raccoon ('washing' bear!): senses objects under water with fingers

° Lips and tongue: suction feeding of aquatic food (shell fish) by Homo?

Humans are extremely special primates/animals10. Increased manual dexterity and tactility

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Humans are extremely special primates/animals8. Reduced colour vision

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Swimming chimp (with stick)

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http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/106/106F05_4.html

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http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/106/106F05_4.html

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http://www.brocku.ca/vrbaby/evolution/general.php

https://webspace.utexas.edu/yg387/human_evolution.htm

http://unmaskingevolution.com/25-human.htm

http://thinkinginchrist.com/2010/02/24/human-evolution-drawings/: human evolution drawings