Interesting
Link is to a story about a fossil find that indicates our homind ancestors cared for their elderly.
It's interesting only because everyone's playing it up as being SO interesting, which it wouldn't be if not for our species chauvinism. So something nearly human acted nearly human? That is boring.
What's more interesting to me is the way the scientists get all frothy with speculation about the evolutionary and "fitness" benefits of keeping your grandma alive even after she's lost her teeth. Like it never even occurs to them to consider that these creatures felt compassion and love for their dear ol' nearly-human grammy.
Again, anthropomorphizing animals is underated and yields greater understanding, not less.
It's interesting only because everyone's playing it up as being SO interesting, which it wouldn't be if not for our species chauvinism. So something nearly human acted nearly human? That is boring.
What's more interesting to me is the way the scientists get all frothy with speculation about the evolutionary and "fitness" benefits of keeping your grandma alive even after she's lost her teeth. Like it never even occurs to them to consider that these creatures felt compassion and love for their dear ol' nearly-human grammy.
Again, anthropomorphizing animals is underated and yields greater understanding, not less.
posted by Jim Richardson at 6:29 PM
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