----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefanie Kantor" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 6:12 PM
Subject: Re: Tom Billings on evolution
Stefanie : Obviously 1% difference in genetics between Chimps and humans
can lead to a lot of differences. I don't think anyone will make a mistake
trying to
distinguish a human from a Chimp.
Does it lead to a 2.5 ratio of stomach capacity and lenght of small
intestine ? Can the liver of chimps detoxify vitamin A ? Please note that I
don't know, I just ask you.
Yes, by now our 2 species are generaly easy to distinguish, but I guess
it'd have been more difficult to distinguish an australophitecus or even an
homo erectus from a chimp. Nowadays no one will
make a mistake trying to distinguish a Pygmee from a Scandinavian neither,
but I'd be surprised if their small intestine lenght is different by a 2.5
ratio.
.
François : Of course selective pressure would be low or even very low if
the new food doesn't affect LRS, but there'll be some anyway.
>
Stefanie : No, there won't be any if LRS is not affected!
I'not sure of that. The survival of the experienced elders can be vital for
the group, as we know it is the case in elefants herds.
>
François : Theories should allways be put to trial with experiments.
>
Stefanie : A better diet is always an improvement compared to a bad diet,
but that doesn't mean it is the best. The best diet is the one we are
genetically
adapted to.
Sure. But why draw a line between vertebrates and invertebrates, as Carol
point out ? If we use such artificial categories to know what we are adapted
to eat or not, one will have to be a fine biologist to feed oneself. Are
"Stolonica socialis" and "Cephalocordata" vertebrates or not ? And what
about an egg which contains an embryo of a vertebrate ?
>
Jean-claude: "I think (there is) enough demonstration that vertebrate meat
eating have
been in our diet for a very long time to be sure of an adaptation."
>
Stefanie : The length of time is totally irrelevant if it doesn't affect
LRS!
Why do you take this unproven hypothesis or theory for the ultimate truth ?
Our knowledge is very limited and full of gaps compared to the size and
complexity of the universe and the life.
>
Jean-Claude : "Are eggs vertebrate or not"
Stefanie : Since they don't have a skeleton, they are not vertebrates. Eggs
could be
a food we are genetically adapted to, just like invertebrates.
Carol has allready very well commented that point.
>
Francois : I can also say that the best tools to eat meat are our teeth.
>
Stefanie : I don't want to go into this discussion, since it has been
discussed here
already about a month ago. All I want to say is that there is no other
vertebrate meat eater in nature known to me that has the same teeth as
humans have. This makes it extremely likely to me that humans shouldn't eat
vertebrate meat. This makes it in my opinion also unlikely that we are
supposed to eat left overs from other kills.
Sorry, if I red some of the former discussions, I didn't read all. I'll
close that blank as soon as possible.
So, if you don't believe me, try to eat some wild gamy meat with your teeth
and you'll see that they are very finely adapted to the the job, even if
they don't look like teeth of other animals.You don't necesarily need to
search for lefts overs of lions or tigers, but if you find some on your way
it'll be cheaper, of better quality and probably more attracting than what
you can buy at your local store.
Stefanie : PS: Sorry for the funky looking messages; I don't know what the
problem is.
This last one was looking fine. We all have known some PC schizophrenia. My
one works now, but I wonder for how long.
Please excuse my mistakes in English, my mother tongue is French.
Best regards,
François
>
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