Nyrath Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 http://discovermagazine.com/2009/the-brain-2/28-what-happened-to-hominids-who-were-smarter-than-us/article_view?b_start:int=0&-C= What's weirder is that with further examination, it was discovered that whatever genus owned the skull also had small, childlike features — a Boskop face only takes up 1/5 of its cranium size, while a typical European adult face takes up roughly 1/3 of its cranium size. Big head, small face? Sounds familiar, eh? Think classic flying saucer Gray aliens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Big eyes, small mouth? Sounds fa . . . oh, wait. Never mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Not sure if the simple metric of brain to body mass ratio is so all-telling. Brain structure and little details in the neurology have to make a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Neat. Raises all sorts of interesting twists on the ancient astronauts, "Atlantean" influenced pyramids and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? A big skull was not conducive to easy births I think there's the answer to the question of what happened. edit: More information http://johnhawks.net/weblog/reviews/brain/paleo/lynch-granger-big-brain-boskops-2008.html One or two other sites make similar points. The upshot seems to be: 1.The Boskop skulls are actually homo sapiens, probably specifically the ancestors of the "Bushmen" who still live in the same region (The Khoisan or San people.) (Interestingly enough, it's been suggested that these same people are genetically most similar to our most ancient ancestors.) 2.It is a fact that in Africa, as everywhere else, Human brains have been gradually getting smaller for tens of thousands of years. We're not necessarily getting dumber; an alternative explanation is that our brains are growing more efficient, doing more with less. It's certainly in our survival interest if a female doesn't usually die giving birth the first time....so definite evolutionary pressure to shrink that skull down. 3. The anthropologists and anatomists of the 20's and 30's were - probably completely unconsciously - "cherry picking" the biggest skulls and assuming they were part of a distinct population rather than being samples from the extreme end of a bell curve. Incidentally, a very recent study allegedly concludes that the San people have an exceptionally high genetic diversity. Perhaps they always have? Lucius Alexander The palindromedary notes that as vulnerable as the Bushmen are maybe we should be saying "Boskop man is not extinct - YET" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? What happened to the hominids who were smarter than us? Well, obviously, we killed them. Friggin' geeks, always throwing off the curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sociotard Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? I've read that one guess as to the direction of human evolution is that we're domesticating ourselves. That the the same traits a breeder selects for when domesticating a wild animal (more docile, reduced 'flight or flight' response so it doesn't run away or try to kill people as often) are traits that civilization likes in people. This is important, since the consistent trend is more people living in cities, and bigger cities to boot. Of course, wolves are smarter than dogs . . . (or so I'm told, and this may depend on breed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrath Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? But of course the point is: what solution will make the best adventure seed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? But of course the point is: what solution will make the best adventure seed? Aliens/Atlanteans trumps Bushman methinks for an adventure seed. Especially if we ended up turning on and eating said helpful beings which of course is the reason for their Invasion and genocide campaign and cattle mutilations later on in the course of history. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? That's pretty darn good linking, Lucius. I'd rep you, but I can't. Also, stop talking about the Secret Masters. Or else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Aliens/Atlanteans trumps Bushman methinks for an adventure seed. ~Rex Not necessarily. Try this scenario. Aliens (extraterrestrial or extradimensional) created Boskop Man as an attempt to accelerate our physical and cultural evolution. But they were still compatible with their neighbors genetically, and eventually ceased to exist as a distinct population - but the Bushmen remain the closest to the original Boskops. Thus it will be found that one of the most technologically primitive groups on Earth are also the most biologically suited to space travel - resistant to cosmic rays/able to percieve and navigate in hyperspace/whatever else. Mankind's future in space belongs to the San of the Kalahari - the rest of us left behind on the mother planet. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary has heard something like this before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Hmm. That's an interesting take actually. Have to ponder that. Even something as simple as far more resistant to Bone Loss would be a major factor of use. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Donald Gibb beat them all up, naturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? It's obvious, the hominids smarter than us went to the starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrath Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? It's obvious' date=' the hominids smarter than us went to the stars.[/quote'] Which means that the Terran Empire will run into them eventually. Which might be a problem, since the Boskops are ten thousand years more advanced that humans are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Which means that the Terran Empire will run into them eventually. Which might be a problem' date=' since the Boskops are ten thousand years more advanced that humans are.[/quote'] I don't have the TE book with me. What's the name of the psionic species / empire on the far side of the Milky Way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Varini. Or something close. Found it: Varanyi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranxerox Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Aliens/Atlanteans trumps Bushman methinks for an adventure seed. Especially if we ended up turning on and eating said helpful beings which of course is the reason for their Invasion and genocide campaign and cattle mutilations later on in the course of history. ~Rex If this was a Pulp HERO thread and not a Star HERO thread I would agree. However, in a hard(ish) sci-fi setting the bushman option has lots of plot potential. Since we are talking about Boskop genes being found in bushmen that means we must have access to Boskop genetic material, and that means within the next 30 years we will have the technology to resurrect the Boskop line through cloning. We are talking about human racial package could be a lot more interesting than any of the ones found in Terran Empire. Think of the plot possibilities. Paranoia concerning the Boskop by standard humans could make for a ripe context for exploring racism and antisemitism. However, maybe the paranoia is justified as the Boskop decide that they will not become extinct again even if to insure their safety they must enslave or exterminate their mentally slower modern cousins. If you don't like big issue plots like these how about the more personal plot of that would it be like to the first Boskop brought to life by cloning, a stranger in a strange land so to speak. Since the Boskop were apparently capable of passing their genes to main line homo sapiens, that opens the door to romance plots (I wonder if Boskop females looked like that they just stepped out of an anime). Really the possible plots are limitless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? I like the "They moved to the stars" option; they probably named themselves after the Navigators that took them there. After all this time, though, they've probably shortened the name... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Both thoughts, could certainly be combined. The ones that went to the stars return, and start a program to bring back the "recessive" Boskop's.... ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? I like the "They moved to the stars" option; they probably named themselves after the Navigators that took them there. After all this time' date=' though, they've probably shortened the name...[/quote'] ... The Na'vi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? ... The Na'vi? I see what you did there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Uggh. Someone get me a can of Avatar Begone........the thing spreads everywhere, like fungus. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrath Posted January 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? Think of the plot possibilities. Paranoia concerning the Boskop by standard humans could make for a ripe context for exploring racism and antisemitism. However' date=' maybe the paranoia is justified as the Boskop decide that they will not become extinct again even if to insure their safety they must enslave or exterminate their mentally slower modern cousins. If you don't like big issue plots like these how about the more personal plot of that would it be like to the first Boskop brought to life by cloning, a stranger in a strange land so to speak. Since the Boskop were apparently capable of passing their genes to main line homo sapiens, that opens the door to romance plots (I wonder if Boskop females looked like that they just stepped out of an anime). Really the possible plots are limitless.[/quote'] Yes! Now you're talking. You could develop that into an entire game universe. Complete with an early, middle, and late era background settings (depending upon how mature the Boskop master plan is). And that was a rather penetrating insight about Boskop females looking like an anime. Especially if they have big eyes. The players will love that. I wonder if the Boskop can be played in a similar manner to the Pak Protectors from Larry Niven's Protector. They too are creatures with hyperintelligence that are somewhat related to homo sapiens. This would be a big help to the game master or player who has to actually play one of these creatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Re: What Happened to the Hominids Who Were Smarter Than Us? I see what you did there. With full sarcasm, yes I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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