Stephen E. Jones

Projects: "Problems of Evolution" (Outline): 14. Man (2)

[Home] [Site map] [Updates] [Projects] [Contents; 1. Introduction; 2. Philosophy (1), (2), (3), (4) & (5); 3. Religion (1) & (2); 4. History (1), (2) & (3); 5. Science; 6. Environment (1), (2) & (3); 7. Origin of life (1), (2) & (3); 8. Cell & Molecular (1), (2) & (3); 9. Mechanisms (1), (2) & (3); 10. Fossil Record; 12. Plants; 13. Animals; 14. Man (1); 15. Social; 16. Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography A-C, D-F, G-I, J-M, N-S, T-Z]

"PROBLEMS OF EVOLUTION": 14. MAN (2)

1.	Uniqueness
	1.	Intelligence
	2.	Bipedalism
	3.	Hairlessness
	4.	Longevity
	5.	Tools
	6.	Language
	7.	Music
	8.	Altruism
	9.	Cooperation
	10.	Culture
	11.	Economics
	12.	One species
	13.	Total package
2.	Other problems of human evolution
	1.	Darwinian evolution is not true of our species
	2.	Competition
	3.	Gap between anatomically and behaviourally modern H. sapiens

"PROBLEMS OF EVOLUTION": 14. MAN (2)
2.	Other problems of human evolution
	1.	Darwinian evolution is not true of our species
"This is an anti-Darwinism book. It is written both against the Darwinism of Darwin and his 19th century 
disciples, and against the Darwinism of such influential 20th century Darwinians as G.C. Williams and W.D. 
Hamilton and their disciples. My object is to show that Darwinism is not true: not true, at any rate, of our 
species. If it is true, or near enough true, of sponges, snakes, flies, or whatever, I do not mind that. What I do 
mind is, its being supposed to be true of man. But having said that, I had better add at once that I am not a 
'creationist', or even a Christian. In fact I am of no religion. ... I do not even deny that natural selection is 
probably the cause which is principally responsible for the coming into existence of new species from old ones. 
I do deny that natural selection is going on within our species now, and that it ever went on in our species, 
at any time of which anything is known." (Stove D.C., "Darwinian Fairytales," Avebury: Aldershot UK, 1995, p.vii.
Emphasis in original)  [top]
	2.	Competition
"If Darwin's theory of evolution were true, there would be in every species a constant and ruthless competition to 
survive: a competition in which only a few in any generation can be winners. But it is perfectly obvious that human 
life is not like that, however it may be with other species" (Stove, 1995, p.1)    [top]
	3.	Gap between anatomically and behaviourally modern H. sapiens

"The antiquity of the skulls makes them the only reliable record of a time when anatomically modern humans 
first appeared among more primitive species in the evolutionary incubator of Africa. In resolving the age of the 
fossils, however, the dating experts highlighted a deeper mystery of human evolution that the bones by 
themselves could not answer: the gap between the advent of modern human anatomy and the awakening of the 
mind 50,000 to 150,000 years later. `If it was anatomically modern, why wasn't it culturally modern?' asked 
geologist Frank Brown at the University of Utah, who helped recalibrate the age of the find" (Hotz R.L., "
2 Human Skulls Go From Old to Oldest," Los Angeles Times, February 17, 2005)

"Professor Brown explains: '...the cultural aspects of humanity in most cases appear much later in the record - 
only 50,000 years ago - which would mean 150,000 years of Homo sapiens without cultural stuff, such as 
evidence of eating fish, of harpoons, anything to do with music (flutes and that sort of thing), needles, even 
tools. ... `This stuff all comes in very late, except for stone knife blades, which appeared between 50,000 and 
200,000 years ago, depending on whom you believe.' Professor John Fleagle, of New York state's Stony Brook 
University, adds: `There is a huge debate in the archaeological literature regarding the first appearance of 
modern aspects of behaviour such as bone carving for religious reasons, or tools, ornamentation (bead jewellery 
and such), drawn images, and arrowheads. `They only appear as a coherent package about 50,000 years ago, 
and the first modern humans that left Africa between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago seem to have had the full set. 
`As modern human anatomy is documented at earlier and earlier sites, it becomes evident that there was a great 
time gap between the appearance of the modern skeleton and 'modern behaviour.'" (BBC, "Age of ancient 
humans reassessed," 16 February, 2005)
"The authors of the report say the new dating shows H. sapiens existed for many thousands of years before 
cultural aspects of humanity became evident, such as evidence of music, tools, religion, art and needlework. 
"It becomes evident that there was a great time gap between the appearance of the modern skeleton and 
modern behaviour, " says US co-author Dr John Fleagle of Stony Brook University. Fleagle says the latest 
information places the emergence of H. sapiens in Africa many more thousands of years before the species 
appeared on other continents. "It lengthens the gap," he says." (Skatssoon J., "Modern humans just aged 
35,000 years," ABC, 17 February 2005). 
"A new analysis of two human skulls previously found in Africa shows they date from nearly 200,000 years ago, 
making them the oldest known examples of our species. The finding suggests our ancestors spent a long, long 
time wallowing in an uncultured era with no music, art or jewelry. The fossils were found near Kibish, Ethiopia 
in 1967. Scientists had previously thought they were no more than 160,000 old. The new analysis of rocks in 
which the skulls were embedded shows them both to date back 195,000 years, give or take 5,000. "It pushes 
back the beginning of anatomically modern humans," said University of Utah geologist Frank Brown. The 
analysis is detailed in the Feb. 17 issue of the journal Nature. Uncultured Fossil records suggest musical 
instruments, drawings, needles and other sophisticated tools -- with the exception of crude stone blades -- did 
not appear until about 50,000 years ago. ... "Which would mean 150,000 years of Homo sapiens without 
cultural stuff," Brown said. But evidence of culture is murky. "There is a huge debate in the archeological 
literature regarding the first appearance of modern aspects of behavior such as bone carving for religious 
reasons, or tools (harpoons and things), ornamentation (bead jewelry and such), drawn images, arrowheads," 
said anthropologist John Fleagle of New York state's Stony Brook University, another member of the study 
team. But, he adds, "they only appear as a coherent package about 50,000 years ago, and the first modern 
humans that left Africa between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago seem to have had the full set." (Britt R.R., "Oldest 
Human Skulls Suggest Low-Brow Culture," Livescience, 16 February, 2005) [top]