{Prehistoric Circles (1) [continued]}[26th September 1990]

[Redbook7:335-336][19900926:1230b]{Prehistoric Circles (1) [continued]}[26th September 1990]

19900926.1230c

[continued]

It’s a happy co-incidence no doubt widely remarked upon, but new to me, that the chief proponent of one ‘gradualist(ic)’ view* of the transition of early man to Homo Sapiens, with connotations of relative racial superiority, is one C.S. Coon. Then again, I can see possibilities whereby it isn’t a coincidence at all: in which case it is also distinctly unhappy.

Another option is the ‘punctuational’ view of human evolution: a long period of evolutionary stasis is followed by relatively rapid transition from one species to its descendant, in a restricted geographic area (from which presumably the new species spreads out, extinguishing its ancestor species).

(Neanderthal Man appears to have lived from c90,000 to c40,000 years ago.** However, predecessors appear from c4-500,000 years ago onwards:)

‘Early Homo Sapiens was probably present in South-eastern Europe 350,000 years ago, in Western Europe 200,000 to 250,000 years ago, and in East Africa 130,000 years ago. *** After these times, evidence of Homo Sapiens becomes widespread and can be found in the rest of Europe, the Mediterranean, southern Africa, China, and the Far East. Finally, America was occupied from North to South via the Bering Strait at least 20,000 years ago, and Australia was occupied from the Sourheast Asian peninsula a little earlier.’****

*ie that men cross the transition line at different times in different places. Traditional gradualists regard the line as arbitrary; Coon sees one particular transition threshold as clearcut, physiologically and culturally.

**E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 18:958ff

[The earlier date must be wrong, although the E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] text at this point does imply it]

***See [last previous entry, [Redbook7:334-337][19900926:1230]{Prehistoric Circles (1)}[25th September 1990],] 334

****E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica] 18:961

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