"Stupid" Neandertal upgraded

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:51 pm

Do you, I wonder, have to have no imagination, strong prejudices, little logic and no common sense to be a famous archaeologist I wonder?
It certainly looks that way at times.

Roy.

Post by **Minimalist** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:23 pm

Perhaps it is a two-step process, Dig.

1. You assume that what you learned is correct and therefore;

2. You apply the idea that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" to anything new.

The disconnect comes because you never consider that there was no "extraordinary evidence" to support the ideas that you now hold dear when they were first formulated.

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:56 pm

In general I go with that Min, but even as a kid I began to doubt some of these guys.
Years ago one of you museums donated casts of some large dinos bones to various museums around the world. Have you ever seen how the Berlin recipients assembled those of I believe were a Brachiosaurus?
Haven't been able to locate any images but they assembled it so that the feet were on pillars as its chest was lower, so entrenched was Crocodilian idea.
Then of course dactyls couldn't fly. No creature with a wing area like that is unable to fly. It was like looking at a Brachiosaur and saying, yes it has feet but it couldn't possibly walk', or a Coelacanth and saying it could possibly swim.
Yet they seemed to believe it. I didn't!
It was rubbish!
If anyone can locate an image of the Berlin dino on its plinth I'd like to see it again, if only for the mirth.

Roy.

Post by **Minimalist** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:03 pm

LOL....a 20 ton croc with a 35 foot neck? Amusing.

Of course, they didn't just "learn" these things. They got their doctorates based on it. I think over time that leads to some hardening of the intellectual artieries.

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:52 am

And yet another Neanderthal reconstruction for our delectation.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World- ... 0431313175

Roy.

pattylt · Post by **pattylt** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:51 am

Darn,
I was hoping for a sound bite of HS speaking. I have also heard that due to the placement of the voice box, they would have had a higher pitch than us, making them sound kinda girly.

Post by **Minimalist** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:24 am

OTOH, they'd have had a great soprano section in a chorus.

pattylt · Post by **pattylt** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:55 am

So does the San Fransisco All Gay Men's Choir!

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:12 am

I was going to post a similar comment Patty, but my sense of humour has gotten me into trouble on other fora, so I ducked.

We're much broader church here I think.

Roy.

pattylt · Post by **pattylt** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:17 am

Have you ever heard these guys? They are amazing!

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:33 am

No, I must confess that I haven't.

Roy.