Re: The compassionate Homo erectus
Bill Hamilton (hamilton@predator.cs.gmr.com)
Thu, 8 Aug 1996 13:36:24 -0400 Jim Bell wrote:
>Bill Hamilton writes:
>
><<I think the correct reading is the second sentence is "[Had she been]
>[a]lone, unable to move, delirious, in pain, 1808 wouldn't have
>lasted two days in the African bush, much less the length of time her
>skeleton told us she had lived. Someone else brought her water...
>
>Had she been alone, she would have died or more likely been killed quickly.
> She didn't, and the most reasonable explanation is that someone protected
>her and cared for her.>>
>
>This is my simple point: Why do you assume that 1808 was not among the herd?
>IOW, why do you assume she was "alone" save for her supposed nurse (which now
>makes her un-alone)?
Thanks for reminding me of that possibility. The "somebody" who cared for
her could well have been the entire community (I'd rather not say "herd".
Community seems more neutral). The point is that some individual or some
group of individuals -- possibly the entire tribe -- was caring for her.
One individual was compassionate, or an entire group of individuals was
compassionate. The central point is the evidence of caring for a disabled
member of the group, which happens in either scenario.
>
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