Texas Monkeys

Post by **Minimalist** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:59 am

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070402/ap_ ... f1BpVFeQoB

BEAUMONT, Texas - A team of anthropologists said their study of South Texas fossil deposits revealed evidence including ancient teeth that shows the area was home to numerous types of primates 42 million years ago.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:25 am

Now how did those guys get here? Remnants from the Pangea break-up? (too early according to the present model)

Convergent evolution?

H. erectus brought pets...

.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:38 am

Might also be applicable to the global warming post:

Climate
Marking the start of the Eocene, the planet heated up in one of the most rapid (in geologic terms) and extreme global warming events recorded in geologic history, called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum or Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM or IETM). This was an episode of rapid and intense warming (up to 7°C at high latitudes) that lasted less than 100,000 years [1]. The Thermal Maximum provoked a sharp extinction event that distinguishes Eocene fauna from the ecosystems of the Paleocene.

The Eocene global climate was perhaps the most homogeneous of the Cenozoic; the temperature gradient from equator to pole was only half that of today's, and deep ocean currents were exceptionally warm.[2] The polar regions were much warmer than today, perhaps as mild as the modern-day Pacific Northwest; temperate forests extended right to the poles, while rainy tropical climates extended as far north as 45 degrees latitude. The difference was greatest in the temperate latitudes; the climate in the tropics however, was probably similar to today's.(Stanley, 508)

Climates remained warm through the rest of the Eocene, although slow global cooling, which eventually led to the Pleistocene glaciations, started around the end of the epoch as ocean currents around Antarctica cooled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eocene

Forum Monk · Post by **Forum Monk** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:54 am

Charlie Hatchett wrote:Now how did those guys get here? Remnants from the Pangea break-up? (too early according to the present model) Convergent evolution? H. erectus brought pets... .

Seems pretty obvious to me, you have not been reading the Multiregional vs. Out of Africa Thread. We just had this same discusion vis-a-vis south american primates.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:57 am

Forum Monk wrote:
Charlie Hatchett wrote:Now how did those guys get here? Remnants from the Pangea break-up? (too early according to the present model) Convergent evolution? H. erectus brought pets... .
Seems pretty obvious to me, you have not been reading the Multiregional vs. Out of Africa Thread. We just had this same discusion vis-a-vis south american primates.

...apparently not. I've been going 90 miles an hour with the rains. I'll have to read it.

Funny thing, though, is Africa, Antarctica, and South America have been seperated since the Creataceous.

Post by **Minimalist** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:44 am

Forum Monk wrote:
Charlie Hatchett wrote:Now how did those guys get here? Remnants from the Pangea break-up? (too early according to the present model) Convergent evolution? H. erectus brought pets... .
Seems pretty obvious to me, you have not been reading the Multiregional vs. Out of Africa Thread. We just had this same discusion vis-a-vis south american primates.

I wonder if the Texas primates allowed the South American primates to come north to pick nuts and berries for them at low wages?

Leona Conner · Post by **Leona Conner** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:53 am

Minimalist wrote:
Forum Monk wrote:
Charlie Hatchett wrote:Now how did those guys get here? Remnants from the Pangea break-up? (too early according to the present model) Convergent evolution? H. erectus brought pets... .
Seems pretty obvious to me, you have not been reading the Multiregional vs. Out of Africa Thread. We just had this same discusion vis-a-vis south american primates.

I wonder if the Texas primates allowed the South American primates to come north to pick nuts and berries for them at low wages?

Only if the resident monkeys were liberal. If there was a well-to-do right-winger in the bunch, there would have been hell to pay. After all they wanted the poor monkeys to do all the work for them for just slightly higher wages. That way if there happen to be any nuts or berries left over they could save them for themselves.

Post by **Minimalist** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:57 am

Yeah...unless the well-to-do monkey owned the nuts and berry farm and had paid big bucks to the Head Monkey to get him elected. Then he would want to be able to hire cheap South American monekys to harvest his nuts and berries and would not give a rat's ass what the other Texas Monkeys thought.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:05 am

Minimalist wrote:Yeah...unless the well-to-do monkey owned the nuts and berry farm and had paid big bucks to the Head Monkey to get him elected. Then he would want to be able to hire cheap South American monekys to harvest his nuts and berries and would not give a rat's ass what the other Texas Monkeys thought.

So true, so true...The whole Mexican immigration thing pisses me off particularly, because at one time their forefathers were citizens of Texas, as part of the Republic.
Shoot, Texas is 35% hispanic.

Forum Monk · Post by **Forum Monk** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:20 am

You Texans need to get over it. As much as y'all like to think so, you're not an independent country any more.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:35 am

Forum Monk wrote:You Texans need to get over it. As much as y'all like to think so, you're not an independent country any more.

I must have missed the memo.

Post by **Minimalist** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:51 am

I suppose coming from New York where ethnic neighborhoods were quite common and every other group has managed to assimilate quite nicely I have a different outlook than these yahoos down here who go to the border to watch for illegals. I can't help but think that if they were white and English speaking there would not be such a hubbub.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:04 pm

Minimalist wrote:I suppose coming from New York where ethnic neighborhoods were quite common and every other group has managed to assimilate quite nicely I have a different outlook than these yahoos down here who go to the border to watch for illegals. I can't help but think that if they were white and English speaking there would not be such a hubbub.

Exactly, Min. When you live here and see it, it smacks of racism. In practice though, most deportation enforcement only occurs by Feds, not locals (unless a crime occurs). Mexicans are an intergral part of the culture in the south, and most don't see any problem with it. There is the taxaton issue though most don't seem to care. Most Mexicans are also of Native American descent.

Post by **Minimalist** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:10 pm

Lots of them pay taxes (social security and otherwise) because they have to get phony numbers for their "employers." They will never see a nickel's worth of benefits from those deductions.

What people whine about are the kids clogging the schools BUT for the most part those kids are born here and are thus American citizens. Those kids are eligible to be president.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:13 pm

Minimalist wrote:Lots of them pay taxes (social security and otherwise) because they have to get phony numbers for their "employers." They will never see a nickel's worth of benefits from those deductions.

What people whine about are the kids clogging the schools BUT for the most part those kids are born here and are thus American citizens. Those kids are eligible to be president.

Exactly. My wife is a perfect example. Her mother came to Texas from Mexico "illegally", though no one gave a rats ass back then.