They must have already had the gene. Humans had explored a lot of the world by 50,000 years ago.The question I have is, did they have the 'exploration gene' to undertake such journeys.
arobigines
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exp gene
Minimalist asked:
The deeper you go, the higher you fly.
It seems pretty obvious that paleolithic man (HSS and HNS) had the brains and the initiative to explore the world on land and water. Moreover, the 50kya date for human occupation of Australia is merely the earliest date so far that has been verified by C-14 testing.
Try to google any studies about seafaring at this time. It seems that there have been little or no scientific inquiry about how early homo sapiens crossed bodies of water, or even earned their living on the water.
Anyway, Australia is an interesting subject. BTW - why has such an enterprising group as the aborigines not created a higher culture. (my standards of that word of course)
Try to google any studies about seafaring at this time. It seems that there have been little or no scientific inquiry about how early homo sapiens crossed bodies of water, or even earned their living on the water.
Anyway, Australia is an interesting subject. BTW - why has such an enterprising group as the aborigines not created a higher culture. (my standards of that word of course)
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Frank Harrist
We got it from aliens. The aliens missed the aborigines and Native Americans, among others. 
Seriously, though, Europeans and Asians did seem to evolve technicaly ahead of the rest of the world. There must be some reason for that. I have always wondered about that. The harnassing of iron greatly accelerated advancement in these cultures. The native americans were almost there, but I don't know about the aborigines of Australia.
Seriously, though, Europeans and Asians did seem to evolve technicaly ahead of the rest of the world. There must be some reason for that. I have always wondered about that. The harnassing of iron greatly accelerated advancement in these cultures. The native americans were almost there, but I don't know about the aborigines of Australia.Mysterious...
I went back and looked at the link that Stan posted for the Bradshaw Foundation. If anybody, like me, only gave this site a quick glance - it's worth looking at carefully. The migrations of man section is well done, even though I disagree with parts of it. Be sure to disable your pop-up blocker.
I went back and looked at the link that Stan posted for the Bradshaw Foundation. If anybody, like me, only gave this site a quick glance - it's worth looking at carefully. The migrations of man section is well done, even though I disagree with parts of it. Be sure to disable your pop-up blocker.
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Minimalist
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Humans had explored a lot of the world by 50,000 years ago.
But was it a desire to explore or was it that someone was chasing them with a big axe?
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin
I don't know, but there must have been lots of reasons for exploring, but anyhow, it was a lot harder and slower to do on foot.
Maybe only a small percentage of humans have ever had the explorer gene, or the leadership gene. But once the leaders and explorers find something, others will go there.
Even our own Daniel Boone, for example, was not an ordinary person. FOlks back east probably thought he was crazy until he found a way through the Cumberland gap into Kentucky.
Maybe only a small percentage of humans have ever had the explorer gene, or the leadership gene. But once the leaders and explorers find something, others will go there.
Even our own Daniel Boone, for example, was not an ordinary person. FOlks back east probably thought he was crazy until he found a way through the Cumberland gap into Kentucky.
The deeper you go, the higher you fly.
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Frank Harrist
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Minimalist
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I guess, Stan, that I'm trying to draw a distinction between 'exploration' in the Daniel boone sense of a couple of guys going for a look around and a migration of people with their women and children going along for the ride...like the Visigoths heading west!
Entire populations do not migrate without a reason.
Entire populations do not migrate without a reason.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin
There doesn't seem to be too many possibilities to consider Minimalist. One could list climate change, following migrating food sources, seeking greener pastures after destroying the immediate flora and fauna, and warfare.
However I don't think a hunter/gatherer society would have the ability to carry out any kind of protracted warfare. That requires too much resource. There is archaeological evidence for a battle as early as 400kya between a group of erectus vs. heidelburgensis in England. One side had axes and the other side knives of obsidian. I don't think they've decided who won.
I guess I'm lumping geological upheaval (volcanic eruption,etc.) in with climate change.
But... in my own mind, I don't really know why men , women, and children would take off in a boat for Australia.
Whaddya think?
However I don't think a hunter/gatherer society would have the ability to carry out any kind of protracted warfare. That requires too much resource. There is archaeological evidence for a battle as early as 400kya between a group of erectus vs. heidelburgensis in England. One side had axes and the other side knives of obsidian. I don't think they've decided who won.
I guess I'm lumping geological upheaval (volcanic eruption,etc.) in with climate change.
But... in my own mind, I don't really know why men , women, and children would take off in a boat for Australia.
Whaddya think?
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Minimalist
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I think it is a mystery.
Africa seems to have been a well-watered grassland as late as 12,000 years ago. It does not seem as if scattered bands of humans would have had much of an impact on it.
Serious volcanic disturbance might well have killed more people than those who would have fled from it. Look at those morons in Indonesia who are sacrificing to the gods rather than escape!
Warfare between isolated hunter/gatherer groups seems equally unlikely to have resulted in any full-fledged victor. Primitive societies constantly war on each other but they do it without the body-counts so impressive to us civilized people.
We know the climate dried up and north africa became more and more of a desert but by that time mankind had spread already.
I don't know..it seems as if some anthropologist came up with Out of Africa but it just does not seem to reflect actual human behavior.
As for Australia? Who can say? That requires a leap of logic that even modern men would hesitate to make.
Africa seems to have been a well-watered grassland as late as 12,000 years ago. It does not seem as if scattered bands of humans would have had much of an impact on it.
Serious volcanic disturbance might well have killed more people than those who would have fled from it. Look at those morons in Indonesia who are sacrificing to the gods rather than escape!
Warfare between isolated hunter/gatherer groups seems equally unlikely to have resulted in any full-fledged victor. Primitive societies constantly war on each other but they do it without the body-counts so impressive to us civilized people.
We know the climate dried up and north africa became more and more of a desert but by that time mankind had spread already.
I don't know..it seems as if some anthropologist came up with Out of Africa but it just does not seem to reflect actual human behavior.
As for Australia? Who can say? That requires a leap of logic that even modern men would hesitate to make.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin
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Frank Harrist
I think it was very gradual. Groups went further and further afield gathering. It's human nature to want to see what's over the next hill, but as they "picked out" an area they moved a little farther out and over millenia they went farther and farther. They would move from places where they had gathered food to places where they hadn't gathered any yet. The more there is the easier it is to find and humans love what's easy. Even if it was still plentiful in the area they came from, it was even more plentiful in areas where they had not been yet. We're talking millions of years here. They dispersed like ink in water, very gradually. Like a fart in a big room. 
I don't know what made the aborigines go to Australia. Maybe just to see what was there. To see where in the hell all them birds was comin' from, maybe?
I don't know what made the aborigines go to Australia. Maybe just to see what was there. To see where in the hell all them birds was comin' from, maybe?
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Minimalist
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Oh, christ....you're going to set arch off again.we're definately talking about Homo Erectus
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin
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Minimalist
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Beagle wrote:Just keep him busy in that other thread!!
I'll give him one of these.
HOW TO KEEP AN IDIOT BUSY ALL DAY.
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HOW TO KEEP AN IDIOT BUSY ALL DAY
(SCROLL UP)
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin