Aquatic Ape Hypothesis – Elaine Morgan
August 6, 2009 by natalina
Filed under Science & Tech., The Unexplained
Elaine Morgan is an advocate for a controversial hypothesis that explains humanity’s unique differences from our primate cousins, by linking humans to a semi-aquatic ancestor.
This beautiful image of a monkey swimming in the geothermal hot springs, Japan was taken by Will Burrard-Lucas. Click the image to visit his web site and see more of his incredible photography.
Here is the basic hypothesis according to Wikipedia:
As compared to the great apes, their nearest living relatives, humans exhibit many significant differences in anatomy and physiology, including bipedalism, almost hairless skin like some marine mammals, hair growth patterns following water flow-lines, increased subcutaneous fat for insulation, descended larynx, vestigial webbing between the fingers, vernix caseosa, a hooded nose, muscular nostril aperture control and the philtrum preventing water from entering the nostrils, voluntary breath control like marine mammals and birds, and greasy skin with an abundance of sebaceous glands, which can be interpreted as a waterproofing device. It has also been suggested that the abundance of docosahexaenoic acid and iodine in seafood would have been helpful in the development of a large brain. (Read more here…AAH Wikipedia)
Take a listen to Elaine Morgan as she lays out her case for the Aquatic Ape “Missing Link”, and decide for yourself. I think she speaks with some authority on the matter, and if her science can’t convince you, she might simply win you over by being incredibly charming 
Thanks again to Posthuman Blues for the find.
She discredits herself 3 minutes in. Yes we know that before the savanna human ancestors lived in the trees and walked on four limbs… but how does that discredit that after entering the savanna the changes occurred. Scientists have known for decades we had a chimp like ancestor before it started walking on two legs. This lady is a quack… their is literally no reasoning behind this claim.
Also no serious evolutionary scientist or anthropologist thinks we became bipedal to see over grass or hunt, it’s all about energy conservation. We spend about one eighth as much energy on walking compared to chimps. Good site, but this lady is rubbish.
Also, if you are interested in human origins I suggest chacking out the 3 part Nova documentary “Becpmong Human” amazingly informative and easy to understand, and puts people like this lady… and the even more eccentric whackos like LLoyd Pye in their places. I believe in UFOs and possibly ghosts, but these people need to stay away from human origins, already got this almost all figured out.
oops, it’s “Becoming Human”
No doubt “Man was *more* aquatic in the past” (Hardy’s words), the question is only how aquatic exactly.
There’s a growing consensus that
1) Mio- & Pliocene apes (Helio-, Austriaco-, Oreopithecus etc.) & australopiths typically lived in mangrove or swamp forests & wetlands, feeding partly on aquatic foods, like lowland gorillas still do one or two hours per day. Google “aquarboreal”.
2) Pleistocene Homo spread along coasts as far as Java (Mojokerto, Flores), England (Pakefield, Boxgrove) & the Cape, and from the coasts inland along rivers & lakes, in savannas & elsewhere. Google “econiche Homo”.
Wish people (like Alex here) who don´t know anything about a subject would not comment.