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this is an addendum to our narrative. we will attempt to provide a thumbnail sketch focusing on the biological development of Homo-aquaticus.
Two million years ago the genus called homo consisted of various species. there was australopithecus, homo-erectus, certain little known 'dwarf' varieties as well as types yet undiscovered.
each strain was shaped by their environment. grassland specimens grew long legs, the better to lope through the dense foliage. northern clans developed thick, robust torsos in order to conserve heat.
some isolated populations inhabited coastal estuaries, existing on a diet of bivalves and arthropods. in many ways their lives paralleled that of early cetaceans (whales). subsequent generations became even more suited to their environment. tailbones reappeared, continuing to lengthen and gain strength as the years passed. primitive examples used the appendage in a rather reptilian manner, much like modern day alligators. legs degenerated and ultimately vanished, although some contemporary examples still bear vestigial leg bones buried deep in the muscular hind sections.
after a time, nature produced a creature rather like a marine centaur. at first, the skin on the lower parts favored that found on dolphins and porpoises, however a fortuitous mutation, thought to have originated among a 'bottleneck' population scattered among what became the Indonesian Islands, produced a series of atavistic traits unseen since the age of amphibians, providing those so endowed with the ability to absorb oxygen through their skins. thus the aquatic form became truly marine. lungs continued to function, but were clearly secondary to dermal respiration.
fossil evidence place this transition at approximately 750,000 years before the present. since then the species known as homo-aquaticus (though homo-marinarus would be more like it) has continued to evolve and develop. Early admixtures of Cro-Magnon blood are found in their DNA record as well.
at one time populations frequented wide spread coastal areas scattered around the tropical and subtropical regions of our planet. but terrestrial human incursions forced these groups to abandon the shallows for the depths.
today they are found chiefly along the Mid Atlantic Ridge and certain trenches in the Western Pacific.
now you know.....
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
please hit the SHARE BUTTON. please leave a COMMENT. thank you. and SPECIAL THANKS to ob/gyn CARL SAN for her thoughtful comment two nights ago.
Two million years ago the genus called homo consisted of various species. there was australopithecus, homo-erectus, certain little known 'dwarf' varieties as well as types yet undiscovered.
each strain was shaped by their environment. grassland specimens grew long legs, the better to lope through the dense foliage. northern clans developed thick, robust torsos in order to conserve heat.
some isolated populations inhabited coastal estuaries, existing on a diet of bivalves and arthropods. in many ways their lives paralleled that of early cetaceans (whales). subsequent generations became even more suited to their environment. tailbones reappeared, continuing to lengthen and gain strength as the years passed. primitive examples used the appendage in a rather reptilian manner, much like modern day alligators. legs degenerated and ultimately vanished, although some contemporary examples still bear vestigial leg bones buried deep in the muscular hind sections.
after a time, nature produced a creature rather like a marine centaur. at first, the skin on the lower parts favored that found on dolphins and porpoises, however a fortuitous mutation, thought to have originated among a 'bottleneck' population scattered among what became the Indonesian Islands, produced a series of atavistic traits unseen since the age of amphibians, providing those so endowed with the ability to absorb oxygen through their skins. thus the aquatic form became truly marine. lungs continued to function, but were clearly secondary to dermal respiration.
fossil evidence place this transition at approximately 750,000 years before the present. since then the species known as homo-aquaticus (though homo-marinarus would be more like it) has continued to evolve and develop. Early admixtures of Cro-Magnon blood are found in their DNA record as well.
at one time populations frequented wide spread coastal areas scattered around the tropical and subtropical regions of our planet. but terrestrial human incursions forced these groups to abandon the shallows for the depths.
today they are found chiefly along the Mid Atlantic Ridge and certain trenches in the Western Pacific.
now you know.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
please hit the SHARE BUTTON. please leave a COMMENT. thank you. and SPECIAL THANKS to ob/gyn CARL SAN for her thoughtful comment two nights ago.
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