Mystery solved. How and why human ancestors became upright.

[Ilovelucy]

I doubt sticks would have been too handy for breaking the bones of scavenged carcasses in order to feast on the marrow within, which is pretty typical of the earliest hominid evidence of carnivory. But if we want to look at the tool that has been used most over human history it can only be one thing:



The Acheulean hand axe.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It didn't fly last time, it won't fly this time.

[mistermack]

I doubt sticks would have been too handy for breaking the bones of scavenged carcasses in order to feast on the marrow within, which is pretty typical of the earliest hominid evidence of carnivory. But if we want to look at the tool that has been used most over human history it can only be one thing:



The Acheulean hand axe.

Exactly. The hand axe is a tool. The sharp stick is a weapon.
A hand axe is useless, if you get picked off by hyenas or leopards on your way to a carcass.
Without the sharp stick, you would be wise to stick to the woods, and not lose your climbing ability.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I doubt sticks would have been too handy for breaking the bones of scavenged carcasses in order to feast on the marrow within, which is pretty typical of the earliest hominid evidence of carnivory. But if we want to look at the tool that has been used most over human history it can only be one thing:



The Acheulean hand axe.

Exactly. The hand axe is a tool. The sharp stick is a weapon.
A hand axe is useless, if you get picked off by hyenas or leopards on your way to a carcass.
Without the sharp stick, you would be wise to stick to the woods, and not lose your climbing ability.

You know, you pile up letters into something that should be words. You shovel those words into heaps that should be sentences. But you don't come out of that with anything that makes sense. You need to ease off the desperate, silly defend-to-the-death position on subjects that have been beaten to death by your own shoddy handling of your side of the argument.

[mistermack]

You know, you pile up letters into something that should be words. You shovel those words into heaps that should be sentences. But you don't come out of that with anything that makes sense. You need to ease off the desperate, silly defend-to-the-death position on subjects that have been beaten to death by your own shoddy handling of your side of the argument.

I hope YOU know what the fuck you're on about. There should be one.
.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

You know, you pile up letters into something that should be words. You shovel those words into heaps that should be sentences. But you don't come out of that with anything that makes sense. You need to ease off the desperate, silly defend-to-the-death position on subjects that have been beaten to death by your own shoddy handling of your side of the argument.

I hope YOU know what the fuck you're on about. There should be one.
.

Errr... you just said something that makes no sense and proved his point. Way to go, MM.

[mistermack]

Errr... you just said something that makes no sense and proved his point. Way to go, MM.

The fact that YOU don't understand it proves nothing.
So long as most children could understand what I write, I'm happy to leave it at that.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

You know, you pile up letters into something that should be words. You shovel those words into heaps that should be sentences. But you don't come out of that with anything that makes sense. You need to ease off the desperate, silly defend-to-the-death position on subjects that have been beaten to death by your own shoddy handling of your side of the argument.

I hope YOU know what the fuck you're on about. There should be one.
.

You pump out absurdities with a straight face. It's fun to watch. Clear now?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

You know, you pile up letters into something that should be words. You shovel those words into heaps that should be sentences. But you don't come out of that with anything that makes sense. You need to ease off the desperate, silly defend-to-the-death position on subjects that have been beaten to death by your own shoddy handling of your side of the argument.

I hope YOU know what the fuck you're on about. There should be one.
.

Errr... you just said something that makes no sense and proved his point. Way to go, MM.

Oh, snap!

[mistermack]

You pump out absurdities with a straight face. It's fun to watch. Clear now?

You pump out shite in huge quantities. Is that why you're named after a dinosaur?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

You pump out absurdities with a straight face. It's fun to watch. Clear now?

You pump out shite in huge quantities. Is that why you're named after a dinosaur?

See? Godzilla was a mutant lizard, not a dinosaur. Do try to keep up.

[Ilovelucy]

I doubt sticks would have been too handy for breaking the bones of scavenged carcasses in order to feast on the marrow within, which is pretty typical of the earliest hominid evidence of carnivory. But if we want to look at the tool that has been used most over human history it can only be one thing:



The Acheulean hand axe.

Exactly. The hand axe is a tool. The sharp stick is a weapon.
A hand axe is useless, if you get picked off by hyenas or leopards on your way to a carcass.
Without the sharp stick, you would be wise to stick to the woods, and not lose your climbing ability.

It's all a bit more complicated than that I'm afraid. Humans did indeed use sharpened spears later in the day, according to the archaeological record, and their numbers would have helped them to defend against predators. We should also remember that the humans that used these tools were far more strong and robust than the comparatively gracile Homo sapiens. Baboons don't need spears to fight off and kill leopards; big strong humans with heavy, sharp implements would have been a considerable threat too. It has been hypothesised that early hominids may have scared predators away from carcasses by throwing stones at them, far more effective than approaching with sticks (comparative anatomy studies have shown that the throwing spear is a relatively recent innovation of H sapiens). Many humans also did indeed hunt in the woods at closer quarters, such as the Neanderthals and Homo heidelbergensis. No resurgence of climbing ability happened there. The point remains, this was the sole item of human technology that humans used for over a million years, it is implanted deep within our psyches. Deep down, everything that we create, be it rockets, pens, rifles or strap on dildos, they are all linear ancestors of the Acheulean hand axe.

*edit, a quick bit of searching shows I've stumbled across a pet theory. I'm stepping away, I'm stepping slowly away...

[Pappa]

I doubt sticks would have been too handy for breaking the bones of scavenged carcasses in order to feast on the marrow within, which is pretty typical of the earliest hominid evidence of carnivory. But if we want to look at the tool that has been used most over human history it can only be one thing:



The Acheulean hand axe.

Meh.... that's nothing compared to the conceptual and technological leap they took in the Mesolithic.

[Don't Panic]

You pump out absurdities with a straight face. It's fun to watch. Clear now?

You pump out shite in huge quantities. Is that why you're named after a dinosaur?

See? Godzilla was a mutant lizard, not a dinosaur. Do try to keep up.

Kids if I have to come over there and slap you both good looking I will, no matter how long it takes.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

You pump out absurdities with a straight face. It's fun to watch. Clear now?

You pump out shite in huge quantities. Is that why you're named after a dinosaur?

See? Godzilla was a mutant lizard, not a dinosaur. Do try to keep up.

Kids if I have to come over there and slap you both good looking I will, no matter how long it takes.

Come anywhere near me and I'll pour 18 yo Chivas down your throat.