Fear of Snakes May Have Driven Pre-Human Evolution
Krishna Dagli writes "An evolutionary arms race between early snakes and mammals triggered the development of improved vision and large brains in primates, a radical new theory suggests. The idea, proposed by Lynne Isbell, an anthropologist at the University of California, Davis, suggests that snakes and primates share a long and intimate history, one that forced both groups to evolve new strategies as each attempted to gain the upper hand. Early primates developed a better eye for color, detail and movement and the ability to see in three dimensions — traits that are important for detecting threats at close range. Humans are descended from those same primates. "
Yet, we swallow it up not even knowing the difference.
Self proclaimed wannabe geek. You know how it is. Most of us who read this stuff probably fit in that category.
Your comment helps to confirm my initial suspicion: that this "scientist" is really nothing more than a fundamentalist christian trying to back up her bible-based supposition by looking for (and then publishing) "facts" that seem to support it. The underlying message of "natural animosity" between snakes and humans is just a little too obvious. I'd be curious to know what sort of religious (and these days political) background is. Who funds her research? Seems too much like right-wing propaganda, from yet another angle.
Actually that's the exact behavior which *proves* their innocence and that you have lost yours... ie: when did nakedness become something taboo?
A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
"Motion detection and wide-field vision are a characteristic of prey, not predator."
Um you may want to re watch jurassic park. When the childrens stand still the t-rex cant see them. Thats why they dont get eaten in the ford explorer but the eye comes down and looks at them. He cant see them as they are not in motion. The t-rex is clearly a predator.
I'll just use my special getting high powers one more time...