Re: Homo erectus in Africa

From: Walter Hicks (wallyshoes@mindspring.com)
Date: Sun Apr 14 2002 - 08:46:13 EDT

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    I have a question of Glenn (or others). It is not a "debate" but rather
    a search for information.

    1.) I had always heard that the basic definition of a species is that it
    cannot interbreed with other species. Yet the discussion of hominids
    seems to have a different definition. The discussion is often one of
    whether or not one homined species interbred with another. If so, why
    are they not just called different variations of the same species?.

    2.) Along those lines, I wonder how one can look at hominid bone fossils
    and say there is this species "A" versus that species "B". How much
    variability is there between humans at the present time? There are both
    very small and very tall human populations today. If we were to look at
    "fossils" from exteme examples, would it be clear that they are or are
    not the same "species" as defined above. Would they not be "homo-teeny"
    and "homo-gigantus" to an anthropologist?

    Walt

    -- 
    ===================================
    Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
     
    In any consistent theory, there must
    exist true but not provable statements.
    (Godel's Theorem)
    

    You can only find the truth with logic If you have already found the truth without it. (G.K. Chesterton) ===================================



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