Snake Featherston
Banned
What happens if the title occurs? If the genus Homo never goes anywhere what happens to Paranthropus? I'm genuinely curious on this one.
Evolution WI: Homo goes extinct, Paranthropus lives.
- Thread starter Snake Featherston
- Start date
Im willing to bet that they stagnate or go outright extinct, assuming that the theory of them being purely herbivore is true. Humans grew more intelligent because we began to eat meat (according to popular theory), and if Paranthropus continues on being purely grasseaters, then they will likely not reach human intelligence, and thus, will either be outcompeted by some other up and coming omnivorous/intelligent animal (chimps?), or die off.
I agree with this, however at some point our ancestors did evolve from herbivores to being carnivores, so its likely that the paranthropus gene could also evolve to do this.
Ya, thats why i said "if".But then again, its not necessarily the gene that would force em to become omnivorous, its environmental pressures as well, if they are forced to move out of their little area, by freak winter storms or something, and stumble across an area where meat would be necessary then they MIGHT be able to become omnivorous. However, if they have a good thing going where they currently are, then they would really have no reason to move anywhere, let alone anywhere that would require meat eating.
Keenir
Banned
if they were purely grass-eaters, why did they have such big brains? one would almost think they were doing something with it.
it wouldn't be chimps... they are extremely specialized animals designed for living in deep jungle, and nowhere else...
A lot depends on what you include in the genus Homo. But for the sake of argument, I will presume you mean "what if all of the gracile australopithicenes which have been included in or are directly ancestral to the genus Homo became extinct, leading to the survival only of robust hominidforms like Paranthropus and Zinjanthropus?"
My guess is that the robust australopithicenes would continue to develop and radiate as large terrestrial primates, quite possibly including secondary readaptations to carnivorous or omnivorous diets. These animals still had all of the key developments which made human intelligence possible (basic hominoid intelligence, upright posture, binocular vision, free hands, etc), so it is reasonable to presume that, given the right set of environmental pressures they might give rise to another human-like line. I am also not completely convinced that a purely vegetation homind (presuming that is in fact the case with paranthropus) cannot evolve high level intelligence. In savannah grasslands populated by lots of big cats and limited resources, there are plenty of pressures for an already social and intelligent animal to evolve improved communications, more complex tool use strategies, and protective social structures. Whether this intelligence would lead to holocausts, nuclear bombs, and rapaciously predatory civilizations such as we gracile australopithicenes developed is another thing.
My guess is that the robust australopithicenes would continue to develop and radiate as large terrestrial primates, quite possibly including secondary readaptations to carnivorous or omnivorous diets. These animals still had all of the key developments which made human intelligence possible (basic hominoid intelligence, upright posture, binocular vision, free hands, etc), so it is reasonable to presume that, given the right set of environmental pressures they might give rise to another human-like line. I am also not completely convinced that a purely vegetation homind (presuming that is in fact the case with paranthropus) cannot evolve high level intelligence. In savannah grasslands populated by lots of big cats and limited resources, there are plenty of pressures for an already social and intelligent animal to evolve improved communications, more complex tool use strategies, and protective social structures. Whether this intelligence would lead to holocausts, nuclear bombs, and rapaciously predatory civilizations such as we gracile australopithicenes developed is another thing.
I seem to remember that the fossil evidence suggests that there were several different species of austropithicus around in those days, so even if Homo went extinct, I'm certain one of the other species would have stepped forward.
But even Paranthropus, if it follows the pattern of other homind species, probably ate meat on an opportunistic fashion. If they come across the unguarded young of a gazelle or the remnants of a kill, they're going to eat it. As they expand to take over the unoccupied ecological niche (big brained ground apes who eat / scavange for meat), some odd subspecies will develop that can better exploit the opening.
Therefore, in over a million years, we might find that there isn't much difference.
But even Paranthropus, if it follows the pattern of other homind species, probably ate meat on an opportunistic fashion. If they come across the unguarded young of a gazelle or the remnants of a kill, they're going to eat it. As they expand to take over the unoccupied ecological niche (big brained ground apes who eat / scavange for meat), some odd subspecies will develop that can better exploit the opening.
Therefore, in over a million years, we might find that there isn't much difference.
After doing a little research, I found this, with makes scientists doubt the pure vegetation diet of A.Robustus (Paranthropus):
http://www.archaeologyinfo.com/australopithecusrobustus.htm said:
Err...? What? It compares A.robustus with A.boisei - both being robust australopithecines
Wiki, e.g., puts both in Paranthropus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranthropus#Disputed_taxonomy said: