Evolving Humans on the Menu

Ant writes "BBC News is reporting that a popular view of our ancient ancestors as hunters who conquered all in their way could be incorrect. This was according to researchers who told a major United States (U.S.) science conference. They argued that early humans were on the menu for predatory beasts. From the article: 'This may have driven humans to evolve increased levels of co-operation, according to their theory. Despite humankind's considerable capacity for war and violence, we/humans are highly sociable animals, according to anthropologists.'"

So we only get along in confrontation?

[forgotten_my_nick]

Thats how I read it. So what we basically need is some huge interdimenionsal squid to be teleported into a large populated city, killing nearly everyone and the whole world will be united (at least until people read Rorschach's Journal).

Heh. Right....

[kassemi]

we humans are highly sociable animals, according to anthropologists.

Anthropologists don't hang out with the /. crowd, I guess...

Mmm, Good

[wildsurf]

So I'm not the only one who thinks supermodels are tasty.

Early Menu Entries

[drgonzo59]

So if a lion entered a restaurant say about 10,000 years ago he would find menu entries like:
"Roasted Human Family...29.95"
"Baby Humans with Cashews and Potatoes...24.50"
"Human a-la-carte - create your own dish out of fresh human body parts and side dishes ... 35.99"

Re:Well, duh

[SetupWeasel]

Humans aren't primates you silly Satan worshipper.

Sarcasm aside, what makes you think ignorance is a binary function?

Re:Mmm, Good

[Duhavid]

Send a couple dozen over, I will sample them
extensively, and let you know how they are.

Re:Early Menu Entries

[Belseth]

Fast food was called serve yourself back then.

Huh

[pmc257cool]

*Fire in the hole!* die you son of a... *GO GO GO!* got your camping n00b ass.... *Storm the Front!*.. huh? what? oh, I beg to differ

How they figured this out

[commodoresloat]

They found a book written by prehistoric birds called "How to Serve Man"

Re:Well, obviously

[lorelorn]

Never before have I come across a user ID so fitting. That truly was a bad analogy, guy.

Re:Now wait a minute!

[nick1000]

I'm thinking about proving the clitoris has something to do with female orgasms

Really???
F.U.D.

Re:Mmm, Good

[Odin's Raven]

So I'm not the only one who thinks supermodels are tasty.

Odd - the ones I eat always seem to have a slick texture and an unpleasant papery aftertaste.

cause and effect

[steveoc]

So let me get this logic straight ...

- Human likes to hang out on his own (assumption)
- Lion eats solitary human, easy prey.
- Human invents cooperation, and evolves to become social, making it harder for Lion to pick off human

Just wonderful.

I thought everyone already knew that ants, termites, bees and wasps 'invented' cooperative societies and specialisation of roles millions of years before we ever came along.

AFAIK, there is no evidence to suggest that ants were ever anything but a social colony from the beginning of their existence. But then, its all speculation really - did ants start off as a social colony, or did they evolve to form them ? Coming up with a test case to positively falsify either claim is impossible.

So the published ramblings of a group of anthropologists isnt exactly what you would call 'good science'.

Its equally possible (and equally un-provable), that a couple of solitary pre-humans sat down in the bush one day and observed a column of ants together .. looked at each other and said ....

'Hey dude, you know if we got together like that, maybe one day WE could form a city-state, farm crops, knock up some pyramids, write a bunch of laws, build ships to cross the oceans, and run out cable broadband to every home, what do you reckon ?'

To which the other replied :

'yeah cool, I reckon its worth a shot. Besides, this whole tear-assing around the scrub like a bad muthafucker is getting a bit old. I wanna find me a good reliable pre-human woman, settle down and you know - just enjoy some quality time together, raise some kids, and maybe even build a white picket fence out of these dry twigs. Its not much I know, but hell, Ill do my best for her.'

A tear welling in his pre-human eye. And so the other extended his hand to shake it

'You know dude, your a good man .. whats your name bro ?'

And so it was that pre-humans evolved an opposing thumb so that they could shake hands, form lasting friendships, and go on to build cooperative civilisations that rival those of the ants.

Maybe we did 'evolve' socialisation out a fear of being eaten by Lions .. but I much prefer my theory instead.

Holy clear thinking, Batman!

[ScentCone]

Damn, that was... well, lucid. Waking up to a rational, articulate, informed slashdot comment is just completely unsettling in a bracing sort of way. Thanks! Must... get... bad... coffee... to... counter... effects.

Re:Heh. Right....

[Eccles]

Well, I'm quite sure they wouldn't like us /.ers. Unshaven, not showered for weeks...

Sounds like we'd taste almost exactly like evolving humans then. Except some of us have quite a lot of well-marbled meat on us...

Re: Mmm, Good

[Duhavid]

First, thanks for making them all female.

Second, they are great! Cooking, cleaning,
they know where the local Walmart is already.

We wont talk about the other attributes here
in an open forum. ;-)

Re:cause and effect

[Alsee]

No, they were evolved to keep the lions away.

If you were a lion, would YOU risk eating a human if there were a random chance you'd get a mouthfull of lawyer or telemarketer?

-