The popular view of our ancient ancestors as hunters who conquered all in their way is wrong, researchers have told a major US science conference. Instead, they argue, early humans were on the menu for predatory beasts. This may have driven humans to evolve increased levels of co-operation, according to their theory.
“Our intelligence, co-operation and many other features we have as modern humans developed from our attempts to out-smart the predator,” said Robert Sussman of Washington University in St Louis.
According to the theory espoused by Professor Sussman, early humans evolved not as hunters but as prey for animals such as wild dogs, cats, hyenas, eagles and crocodiles.
Dr Fuentes points to fossil evidence of predation in two different groups of humanlike species: Australopithecus and Paranthropus. The latter group, it appears, could not adapt to pressures such as predation, and became extinct between one and 1.2 million years ago.
we need to outsmart the predators in several cities that I know of, even today.
Is it a wonder that most large land predators are on the edge of extinction.
How the tables have turned.
On the other hand, chickens, pigs and beef cattle have never been more abundant. Just goes to show which side of the menu it’s better to be on.
This idea isn’t anything new. Arthur Clarke and Stanley Kubrick had the same idea in the 60s.
Get out your video player, and look at the opening scene of “2001-A Space Oddysey.” In the movie (and the book, of course), the ape-men survived because they were communal, and because one of them got the idea (from the monolith of course–this is 2001 after all) to use a bone as a cudgel against a big cat that had been preying on them.
What may be news is that there’s evidence of regular predation on our ancestors.
“Our intelligence, co-operation and many other features we have as modern humans developed from our attempts to out-smart the predator.”
I’m always glad to see positive statements made by scientists which can never be tested for validity, but are just accepted as fact anyway.
But, as an aside, there was a Ringo Starr movie made a long time ago that quite clearly showed humans had to fend off dinosaurs on a regular basis or else be eaten.
Nice evidence. This is more scientists taling out their butts again. I hate it when science uses leaps of logic to arrive at a conclusion.
Ask yourself how many examples of prey working together to outsmart the predator are there in nature? Now, how many example sof predators working together to outsmart prey. (wolves, lions, killer whales)
I don’t disagree with the statement made, just at the stupid way they arrived at the conclusion.
Why don’t you read the quote next time Todd, instead of bringing up your asinine thesis about intelligent design.
This guys is saying that Humans have developed their intelligence and social skills because of their earlier status of being prey. Well, if this is the case, then most other species should have had similar evolutionary forces placed upon them to be nearly as developed as us. But of course, that isn’t the case is it?
He is merely using speculation to make a statement worded as fact that he can neither test nor verify. That was the point of my comment.
Not believing a in a scientific statement is not anti-science. Carl Sagan once said: “The only sacred truth is that there are no sacred truths.” It’s one thing to question science, it’s another to try and replace science with dogma.
This is old news. A few years ago there was a docu-film about this very subject, called 1,000,000 BC In this expose Briget Bardot and her mates can be seen quite clearly fighting off T. Rex and other large predators.
Ascii Spud, you’re right, why do scientists have to inject their namby-pamby opinions on stuff like this. We’re on top because we learned how to be badasses and make cool weapons.
Fusion, dude, it wasn’t Bridget Bardot, it was Raquel Welch.
Luc
Right on. Darn if I wasn’t having total brain cramps trying to remember too. It has been awhile. Great documentary though, wasn’t it?
Since you dudes aren’t film buffs — or nowhere as old as me, the Raquel Welch version was a remake.
Original version starred Victor Mature — 1940.
Start a new game show that’s a combination of Fear Factor and Survivor. Call it “Food Chain”. Put a bunch of people on an island with nothing to eat but each other. The last survivor is the top of the food chain…
Ed,
But honestly, who would you pick to star in your movie? Raquel Welch or Victor Mature? Was the Victor Mature version as historically accurate as Raquel’s, you know how many of those older films weren’t.