> Date:    Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:31:50 -0400
> From:    William <[log in to unmask]>
> The short lifespan of paleoman appears to be an article of faith.
> If there is any evidence in support of it, please post it.

*** I have evidence to the contrary, actually. I studied with an 
anthropologist who is also a registered nurse, and is an expert on both the 
native peoples of the Pacific Northwest and those of the Southwest. From her 
I learned that one of the reasons scientists assumed that paleo people died 
young was that they didn't find any bones of old people. In truth they did 
find such, and old people were respected members of all of those societies 
that I know of. The difference is, the bones of paleo elders didn't suffer 
from the age-related changes common to modern society, so they were 
incorrectly identified as the bones of young or middle-aged adults. Once the 
individual reached adulthood, it became impossible to accurately age his or 
her skeleton.

--Carrie