Was Man More Aquatic in the Past? Fifty Years After Alister Hardy - Waterside Hypotheses of Human EvolutionThe book starts from the observation that humans are very different from the other primates. Why are we naked? Why do we speak? Why do we walk upright? Fifty years ago, in 1960, marine biologist Sir Alister Hardy tried to answer this when he announced his so-called aquatic hypothesis: human ancestors did not live in dry savannahs as traditional anthropology assumes, but have adapted to live at the edge between land and water, gathering both terrestrial and aquatic foods. This eBook is an up-to-date collection of the views of the most important protagonists of this long-neglected theory of human evolution at the 50th anniversary of its announcement in 1960. It brings together the views of leading scientists such as anthrolopogy professor Phillip Tobias, marine biologist Richard Ellis, waterbirth gynaecologist Michel Odent, nutritional biologist Michael Crawford and science writer Elaine Morgan. |
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Acad Sci USA adaptations Africa anatomy animals apnea apneic Appl Physiol aquatic adaptations aquatic ape hypothesis aquatic mammals argued australopithecines behavior bipedal origins bipedalism body bone bonobos brain breath-hold breathing Chapter chimpanzees coastal compared depth diet divers diving response early hominins early Homo Elaine Morgan environment evidence evolutionary evolved explain fatty acids forest fossil gorillas habitats Hardy Hardy’s hominid Homo erectus Homo sapiens Hum Evol human ancestors human bipedalism human evolution hyperostosis idea increased kidneys Kuliukas Langdon locomotion London lung manatees Marc Verhaegen marine mammals medullary pyramids Miocene modern humans Moken monkeys Morgan E multi-pyramidal Natl Acad Sci Neanderthal Oreopithecus otters oxygen pakicetid Phys Anthropol physiological Pleistocene pre-eclampsia predation primates Proc Natl Acad proposed Roede savannah savannah hypothesis scenario Schagatay Science semi-aquatic shallow water shell fish species suggest swimming terrestrial mammals theory thick underwater vision wading models waterside wetlands whales