Life and evolution

Lance A. Sievert
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Life and evolution

 We evolved to use our brain as a tool for survival just as any creature alive has done with their survival tools, the cheetah has its speed, the bat its radar, the firefly its lighted butt. Like us their species survivability until today depended upon refinement of it specialty to better survive and create offspring which reinforce and improve upon that specialty. Our brain makes up for our lack of claws, fur, speed, armor, camouflage and so on. The longer we survived as a species the more reinforced and refined the brain that facilitated that survival became. Over time, our survivability without other tools that other creatures in nature possess suggest that the brain is a superior enough tool to make up for lacking in claws, speed, strength or lighted butts.

In addition having thumbs allowed us to use our hands more and our teeth less as tools, this allows more time for the cranium to grow before becoming fused, (around 12 years) where as other apes and the like must use their teeth and so their jaws as tools forcing their craniums to fuse at a much earlier age (around 2 years) in order to resist the powerful jaw muscles attached to the cranium that apes and the like must use more frequently as tools. This extra time for cranial fusing allows for the growth of a much larger brain. We should not mistake this as a superiority over other creatures, rather it is the equalizer for us among other species for all species by their very continued existence are our equals in that we all continue to win the race of survival.

We should have a mutual respect for all life in this sense and an appreciation for the various diversity in specialty that successful survival has fostered. In this way we can look at the animal and plant kingdoms with esteem and awe. I am particularly impressed with species that can facilitate a continued survival of the its species while remaining inactive for long periods of times, the offspring of the Mayfly are born after their parents have been dead for a year and upon reaching adulthood do so without a mouth and so die within 24 hours of reaching adulthood. These creatures do all that they must do in their adult life within twenty four hours and do so without the use of a mouth. This is because their species offspring do not need the parents to hatch, grow and do all that is needed to promote the species for another year all in one day of adult life.

In a sense they have mastered survival. Additionally, it can be inferred from this Mayfly the reason why we DO have a mouth, so we CAN live to nurture our offspring who require that nurturing for many years after birth in order to survive until mating age. Lastly, it can also be derived from this knowledge that our sole purpose for living after mating is solely for the purposes of serving the next generation. According to the mayfly, it really is all about the kids...


Ktulu
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I know some people that

I know some people that would use a lighted butt more than a brain.

 


Vastet
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Ktulu wrote:I know some

Ktulu wrote:

I know some people that would use a lighted butt more than a brain.

 

Only some? I could probably populate a small city with all the examples I've encountered.
I'd start with furrycatherder. She already uses her ass as if it were her brain.

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FurryCatHerder
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Vastet wrote:Ktulu wrote:I

[mod edit: removed trolling]


Vastet
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Test successful. So easy to

self deleted. No fun in a one way battle.

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FurryCatHerder
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FurryCatHerder wrote:[mod

FurryCatHerder wrote:

[mod edit: removed trolling]

Exsqueeze me?  Vastet hit me first!

Go delete his post.

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walkharris
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Mod edit: Spam.

Mod edit: Spam.


joe_2007
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Nice Theory

Lance A. Sievert wrote:

 In addition having thumbs allowed us to use our hands more and our teeth less as tools, this allows more time for the cranium to grow before becoming fused, (around 12 years) where as other apes and the like must use their teeth and so their jaws as tools forcing their craniums to fuse at a much earlier age (around 2 years) in order to resist the powerful jaw muscles attached to the cranium that apes and the like must use more frequently as tools. This extra time for cranial fusing allows for the growth of a much larger brain.

 

Nice theory, except gorillas have thumbs too. Twice as many, actually, if you also count the opposable toes.


BobSpence
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joe_2007 wrote:Lance A.

joe_2007 wrote:

Lance A. Sievert wrote:

 In addition having thumbs allowed us to use our hands more and our teeth less as tools, this allows more time for the cranium to grow before becoming fused, (around 12 years) where as other apes and the like must use their teeth and so their jaws as tools forcing their craniums to fuse at a much earlier age (around 2 years) in order to resist the powerful jaw muscles attached to the cranium that apes and the like must use more frequently as tools. This extra time for cranial fusing allows for the growth of a much larger brain.

 

Nice theory, except gorillas have thumbs too. Twice as many, actually, if you also count the opposable toes.

Actually, it seems now that an important thing which really helped us learn to make and use tools and do other things which our brains (and thumbs) allowed us to do is to start cooking our food. This allowed us to get more nutrition out of a given quantity of food, and get nutrition from a wider range of sources, and so need to spend far less time gathering and feeding, which gorillas are still stuck with. It also allowed us to get away with much less powerful jaws and jaw muscles, which helped as already mentioned.

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