Millions of years ago, our pre-pre-pre-pre ancestors, walked like apes - all except in Ethiopia. There something unique happened.
There was Global Warming, and the Indian ocean came in, and surrounded parts of Ethiopia and made a big island. Our ancestors on the island evolved.
The pre-pre, etc, humans loved it. Every day was a beach day.
They lived in caves along the beach, and ate a ton of seafood, a super-rich diet for brain development. If lions or hyenas came along, they went in the water, and the cats wouldn't follow. They were Aquatic Apes.
By living in the water so much over millions of years, their muscles and spine changed, and they became gradually. upright-and walked upright.
"Not so!” Say the rabidly screaming Savannah Theory Scientists. “They came down out of trees, on the Savannah, and after millions had been eaten, the rest magically developed an upright posture-to see the lions, and big packs of hyenas coming at them. And they quickly walked Upright back to the trees. Look at the Lucy skeleton.
“It had nothing to do with Water-that is a Nutcase Theory!
“They lived on the dry Savannah all the time-even though they needed to drink a quart of water a day to survive.
“They loved the dry Savannah, and the waterholes packed with predators.
“Why do you think we have lawns today? Man is a Savannah loving animal.
“Don't listen to the Nutcase Aquatic Ape people.
“Our ancestors loved a bone-dry Savannah, that is obvious.
“Our books have pushed this for years-our careers are at stake."
Anyway, after 8-10 million years, there was a glacial period-the ocean receded, and the evolved Aquatic Apes moved back to the mainland of Africa.
They were now Tool using - (having used stones to crack open hard seashells to get the food inside). And Their Chimpanzee relatives hadn't changed a bit in all this time.
The moved inland up the river valleys of Africa-the most successful predator on the Planet-and the rest as they say, is History.
