Researcher: Early Man Was Hunted by Birds

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060112/ap_on_sc/safrica_ancient_mystery;_ylt=Am1pZZ484KeA0xuEqdahO9Ss0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
Researcher: Early Man Was Hunted by Birds

By ALEXANDRA ZAVIS, Associated Press Writer 47 minutes ago

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - An American researcher believes he has solved the mystery of how one of the most important human ancestors died nearly 2 million years ago: An eagle killed the 3 1/2-year old ape-man known as the Taung child.

The discovery suggests small human ancestors known as hominids had to survive being hunted not only by large predators on the ground but by fearsome raptors that swooped from the sky, said Lee Berger, a senior paleoanthropologist at Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand.

"These types of discoveries give us real insight into the past lives of these human ancestors, the world they lived in and the things they feared," Berger said in documents accompanying a presentation at a conference Thursday.

"These are the stresses that formed the human mind and made us one of the most successful animals on the face of the planet."

[villager]

1. "Successful?" How long did the dinosaurs last?

What are our current odds of lasting that long?

[Canuckistanian]

8. Well, we are successful, in a way

After all, we are one of the largest animals on earth and we number over 6 billion.

Also, we've adapted to all the nooks and crannies of the earth, something no other animal has done.

But, if success is to be measured by longevity, we're just a flash in the pan (so far). We haven't even hit a million years as a species yet.

[ladjf]

12. Turtles over 200,000,000 years. (yes thats million)

Homo sapient about 350,000 yrs and fast headed toward extinction and we may carry all other life with us. We're a huge success.

[EST]

2. No wonder almost everybody eats chicken

[Gormy Cuss]

3. That's it.

I'm taking down the bird feeder.

[Wilms]

4. A Chicken Hawk, no doubt. nt

[JuniperLea]

5. No wonder my middle kid

Was always deathly afraid of anything that flies... kites especially!

[pinerow]

6. I'm gonna shoot Tweety next time he gets too close...

:wtf:

[XemaSab]

7. I was almost attacked by an eagle when I was little

My mom scared it away.

[0007]

9. This is kind of hard for me to fathom. Not that birds preyed upon

us eons ago, but the fact that this was one of many things that made us the most successful of all animals. :shrug:

"These are the stresses that formed the human mind and made us one of the most successful animals on the face of the planet."

[ret5hd]

10. Is this where those "Raptured" fairy tales originated?

:rofl: oh, god, i kill me! :rofl:

[ladjf]

11. The human race is headed toward an early extinction. And

when that happens the mere 400,000 yrs on Earth will be a record for short tenure by a species. That doesn't sound too smart to me. Gifts yes. Intellect, no, as it relates to survival technique.