Modern Man is a Wimp (article)

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Tangfastic

Again, the aboriginal footprints are interesting evidence, but the author seems to have extrapolated from this that all our ancestors were supermen.

I am not sure about the part of the absolute best of our day competing with the absolute best of the past, I am sure that we have developed a lot of sports training techniques, not to mention nutrition that is vastly superior.

but until 150 years ago, pretty much 99% of the population of the world had to walk anywhere that they went. people worked much harder, physically than they do now. the work of a simple rower or legionaire was extremly hard and was vastly harder of a life than waht we expereince today in the west.

I remember seeing construction workers in India, men probrably less than 120 pounds, standing barefoot on bamboo frames stories up from the road throwing bricks to each other. effectivly, catching a brick thrown to them from 2 stories below, then throwing it two stories up, maybe 20 a minute, for hours, day after day.

a guy who spends his day at a desk and 2 or 3 times a week gets to the gym can't stand up to that type of "training". 200 years ago, almost everybody inthe world had to work that hard.

 

[B1FF]

Originally Posted by zeitgeist

Take for instance Europeans vs Africans. The climate in Africa led to the Africans never really advancing past the stone age and simple tools yet they can run quickly to catch zebra with spear.

The Europeans are not as strong or fast but their intelligence was needed in the freezing cold where they needed to advance to the freezing climates so that the strongest (not always physically) survived.

 

[coldarchon]

Originally Posted by zeitgeist

The Europeans are not as strong or fast but their intelligence was needed in the freezing cold where they needed to advance to the freezing climates so that the strongest (not always physically) survived.

think of neanderthalensis and then rethink about freezing cold, physical strength and intelligence ..

 

[Lowndes]

Trying to figure out how to hide posts by certain people. I thought there was a way. Can somebody point me in the right direction? Thanks

 

[Contingency Plan]

Originally Posted by satorstyle

Who cares we have the iphone.

2chars

 

[Hombre Secreto]

Originally Posted by coldarchon

think of neanderthalensis and then rethink about freezing cold, physical strength and intelligence ..
Neanderthals were no where near as intelligent as early humans (**** sapiens). Neanderthals weren't able to survive the killing of their males, and ****** of their females by the humans despite the physical advantage the Neanderthals had.

 

[Ahab]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

Ahab, I am not sure that I understand your point. I think that for much of human history combatants were full timers. the advantage of the long bow and then the musket (even more so) was that it allowed people to spend only a part of their lives as warriors, instead of it being a lifelong vocation.
Even today the vast majority of combatants are not expected to be full timers. Now there is usually a cadre of professional full time soldiers but given a large conflict there would be conscription and drafts to fill out the ranks. In ancient times most combatants were peasants of sorts who were conscripted in times of need through various means. The vast majority of combatants were not full time soldiers unless of course they were involved in a conflict.

 

[melwoesblvd]

all this brain over brawn stuff holding true, why is it that many women prefer a more brawny man?

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

Neanderthals were no where near as intelligent as early humans (**** sapiens). Neanderthals weren't able to survive the killing of their males, and ****** of their females by the humans despite the physical advantage the Neanderthals had.

Based upon what evidence?

 

[Hombre Secreto]

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

Based upon what evidence?

Isn't it obvious??? Why aren't they still around? What? They couldn't adapt to the changing environment, or influx of humans with their more developed brains?

 

[HgaleK]

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

Based upon what evidence?

Ask the nearest Neanderthal for his side of the story...

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

Isn't it obvious??? Why aren't they still around? What? They couldn't adapt to the changing environment, or influx of humans with their more developed brains?

They could have been over specialized to cold adaptation and humans could have simply been better at exploting their environment and were better at reproducing. That's different then suggesting it was the direct interaction between humans and neandertals that caused their demise. There is also limited evidence to suggest humans and neandertals interbred.

 

[coldarchon]

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

Neanderthals were no where near as intelligent as early humans (**** sapiens). Neanderthals weren't able to survive the killing of their males, and ****** of their females by the humans despite the physical advantage the Neanderthals had.

you do know that that neanderthalensis and sapiens lived happily next to each other for several thousands of years and many bone findings in south france show they merged? you do know neanderthalensis had a bigger brain than sapiens? and in fact their frontal lobe was better than ours? and the marks inside of their skulls from the brain shows they were better in making plans, social behavior and dreaming?

and they didn't only have a physical advantage, their bones healed much faster. they could break a fingerbone and still throw a spear a minute later. sapiens had been crying and get killed ..

 

[Hombre Secreto]

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

They could have been over specialized to cold adaptation and humans could have simply been better at exploting their environment and were better at reproducing. That's different then suggesting it was the direct interaction between humans and neandertals that caused their demise. There is also limited evidence to suggest humans and neandertals interbred.
So humans show up, and Neanderthals start declining in numbers, and humans couldn't have had ANYTHING to do with it? What a coincidence! So once again why aren't they here, and we are? Did Neanderthals forget how to **** once humans left Africa? Did the Neanderthals forget to use caves as shelters?

Originally Posted by coldarchon

you do know that that neanderthalensis and sapiens lived happily next to each other for several thousands of years and many bone findings in south france show they merged?
Are you kidding??? Prove it.

Originally Posted by coldarchon

you do know neanderthalensis had a bigger brain than sapiens? and in fact their frontal lobe was better than ours? and the marks inside of their skulls from the brain shows they were better in making plans, social behavior and dreaming?
Neanderthals were bigger physically, so of course their brains would of been slightly bigger. So by your theory Neanderthals were stronger, and had bigger brains, so that would of made them superior right? Why aren't they here???

Originally Posted by coldarchon

and they didn't only have a physical advantage, their bones healed much faster. they could break a fingerbone and still throw a spear a minute later. sapiens had been crying and get killed ..
So??? Who is arguing Neanderthals weren't better physically wise?

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

So humans show up, and Neanderthals start declining in numbers, and humans couldn't have had ANYTHING to do with it? What a coincidence! So once again why aren't they here, and we are? Did Neanderthals forget how to **** once humans left Africa? Did the Neanderthals forget to use caves as shelters?

If humans use the same resources, with finite number of resources to go around they just have to be better at exploiting them without directly confronting them.

The problem with your idea, although possible, is that there just isn't any evidence for it and there are other possibilities.