The Aquatic Ape Theory. One Possible Explanation of Human Evolution.

The Aquatic ape theory is relativly new approch to explaining human evolution. It postulates that humans are decended from a semiaquatic species of ape. Now I'm no expert on the subject and I'm going off what I remember. But the evidence is basicly as follows. There are a number a intresting diffrences between us and our ape cousins that could be clues to an aquatic history in our early evolution. For one we are relativly hairless. This might indicate a loss of a thick coat in order to cut down drag while swimming through the water. Also our hair grows in a way unique from other apes and simians. The tracts of our hair are very hydrodynamic. You can observe this yourself while in the shower or swimming. as water passes over the hairs on one's body ,they fold down towards the skin to let the water pass over smoothly. Other apes don't have that. Also compared to ape babies, human babies have almost twice the amount of body fat at birth. This would be needed to keep them warm in water and add bouyancy. Also human babies can swim instictivly shortly after birth. Plus to this day, a common recessive trait amoung humans is webed fingers and toes. Also scientists believe that the expotential increase in the size of the human brain would nescessitate an equally expodential increase in the protein in our diet. It is believed by some this is how we became omnivorious. But it could also be explained by the indroduction of fish into the diet of our ancestoral species. Also the weightlessness of exsisting partially in an aquatic environment might have helped in straightening our spines to walk upright.

I'm personally on the fence about this theory. I guess its concievable that it might have some merit. Afterall whales and dolphins were once terrestrial animals. What do you think abut this theory? Provided you believe in human evolution to begin with.

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