Back to brain expansion (Humans)

by dhw, Monday, October 26, 2020, 11:11 (1271 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: I proposed that brains expanded when they no longer had enough cells to meet new requirements, whereupon you told us that there were new artefacts found among Moroccan fossils from 315,000, and there were no known new requirements. We now know that in different parts of Africa there WERE new artefacts and new requirements. That’s it. That is the only new development here. We don’t need to go through all the pros and cons of your theory and mine. This particular objection of yours has been squashed by the new discoveries, but you will continue to argue that God operated on the brains in anticipation of new requirements, and I will continue to propose that the brain expanded because of the effort to meet new requirements. We do not need to repeat the rest of the discussion, which has been covered over and over again over the last few months.

DAVID: You have invented artifacts when the article discussed environmental changes as driving the enlargement.

My theory concerns new requirements, of which artefacts are one example. However, in this particular case, artefacts were also found. You should read these articles more carefully.

QUOTE: Then, beginning around 320,000 years ago, people living there entered the Middle Stone Age, crafting smaller, more sophisticated weapons, including projectiles. At the same time, they began to trade resources with distant groups and to use coloring materials, suggesting symbolic communication. All these changes were a significant departure from their previous lifestyle, likely helping early humans cope with their newly variable landscape, Potts said.
***
"'Then with humans in the mix, and some of their innovations like projectile weapons, they also may have affected the fauna. It's a whole ecosystem changing, with humans as part of it.'"

I think we can now close this thread.