Mystery solved. How and why human ancestors became upright.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It's hardly science though. Did you know that chimpanzees have been observed making spears, and killing bushbabies with them? Or beating each other senseless with big sticks? It's hardly something our ancestors COULDN'T have done.
.

"Spears" or pointy sticks?

[Trolldor]

...oh dear gods.

You're speaking of spears, so I presume you mean fashioned weapons.

As a start, the BBC series "walking with" is a great introduction to the basics of human history.

It's hardly science though. Did you know that chimpanzees have been observed making spears, and killing bushbabies with them? Or beating each other senseless with big sticks? It's hardly something our ancestors COULDN'T have done.
.

Yes, and it is also entirely possible they fashioned jetpacks from banana leaves that were powered with love.
But there's no evidence to support guesswork. There is evidence, however, of emergence of fashioned weapons well after our earliest ancestors became bipedal.

[Trolldor]

Point 2: If weaponry were the cause of Bipedalism, why aren't those Chimps bipedal?

[mistermack]

It's hardly science though. Did you know that chimpanzees have been observed making spears, and killing bushbabies with them? Or beating each other senseless with big sticks? It's hardly something our ancestors COULDN'T have done.
.

"Spears" or pointy sticks?

The people doing the study used the word spears. Google it. And a sharpened stick IS a spear. They used their teeth to sharpen the ends.
.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It's hardly science though. Did you know that chimpanzees have been observed making spears, and killing bushbabies with them? Or beating each other senseless with big sticks? It's hardly something our ancestors COULDN'T have done.
.

"Spears" or pointy sticks?

The people doing the study used the word spears. Google it. And a sharpened stick IS a spear. They used their teeth to sharpen the ends.
.

A sharpened stick is a sharpened stick.

[mistermack]

Yes, and it is also entirely possible they fashioned jetpacks from banana leaves that were powered with love.
But there's no evidence to support guesswork. There is evidence, however, of emergence of fashioned weapons well after our earliest ancestors became bipedal.

Well, there is DIRECT evidence that our ancestors did have formidable weapons, long jaws and big canines. And there is direct evidence that we lost them, over a fairly short period ( in evolutionary terms ). And that was just about the time we became upright.
As chimps can fashion a spear now, when they need one, it's unlikely that this was something beyond a human ancestor six million years ago. The brain size was similar to the average chimp's.
.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Yes, and it is also entirely possible they fashioned jetpacks from banana leaves that were powered with love.
But there's no evidence to support guesswork. There is evidence, however, of emergence of fashioned weapons well after our earliest ancestors became bipedal.

Well, there is DIRECT evidence that our ancestors did have formidable weapons, long jaws and big canines. And there is direct evidence that we lost them, over a fairly short period ( in evolutionary terms ). And that was just about the time we became upright.
As chimps can fashion a spear now, when they need one, it's unlikely that this was something beyond a human ancestor six million years ago. The brain size was similar to the average chimp's.
.

Welcome to the trap of monocausality, mistermack.

[mistermack]

A sharpened stick is a sharpened stick.

What's the difference then?
Google chimps using spears.
.

[Animavore]

A sharpened stick is a sharpened stick.

What's the difference then?
Google chimps using spears.
.

How about stop being lazy and post links?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

A sharpened stick is a sharpened stick.

What's the difference then?
Google chimps using spears.
.

Google chimps using sharpened sticks.

[GenesForLife]

Bzzz, a selective advantage doesn't result in the original development of the phenotype that later ends up being selected for.

It may explain why once bipedalism was the norm it could be selected for, it doesn't explain why bipedalism developed in the first place, which would be a function of variation in the developmental plan of the human body.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

A sharpened stick is a sharpened stick.

What's the difference then?
Google chimps using spears.
.

How about stop being lazy and post links?

He doesn't because the links would have a high WTF factor if he posted them.

[Trolldor]

Yes, and it is also entirely possible they fashioned jetpacks from banana leaves that were powered with love.
But there's no evidence to support guesswork. There is evidence, however, of emergence of fashioned weapons well after our earliest ancestors became bipedal.

Well, there is DIRECT evidence that our ancestors did have formidable weapons, long jaws and big canines. And there is direct evidence that we lost them, over a fairly short period ( in evolutionary terms ). And that was just about the time we became upright.
As chimps can fashion a spear now, when they need one, it's unlikely that this was something beyond a human ancestor six million years ago. The brain size was similar to the average chimp's.
.

Oh? What do weapons have to do with jaw strength? The jaws weren't for fighting, but for eating. A strong jaw was required for the tough vegetation and raw meat, canines are particularly effective at removing meat from bone.
If there was a change in diet - softer, easier to chew foods - then we would expect to see the jaw strength decrease if a heavy set jaw was somehow a disadvantage - such as wasting energy.
As for the reduction in canines, that would only happen when their primary use - eating - was again eased. Weaponry and fighting have nothing to do with it.

[mistermack]

A sharpened stick is a sharpened stick.

What's the difference then?
Google chimps using spears.
.

How about stop being lazy and post links?

I can't change the habits of a lifetime.
BUT, I just googled chimpanzee spear and got a whole pageful. You choose.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=chimpa ... 4AbR052hAw

[Gawdzilla Sama]

A sharpened stick is a sharpened stick.

What's the difference then?
Google chimps using spears.
.

How about stop being lazy and post links?

I can't change the habits of a lifetime.
BUT, I just googled chimpanzee spear and got a whole pageful. You choose.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=chimpa ... 4AbR052hAw

And, please, how many of those did you actually read?