Richard Leakey
 

So last night I got to see Richard Leakey give a speech at my school. For those of you who don't know him, he's a ridiculously famous anthropologist and environmentalist.

He brought up an interesting point about bio diversity. The earth is warming(we can all admit this regardless of the why), and in such times animals naturally migrate to more hospitable climates. Only...they can't anymore. Sure birds can fly, but mammals can no longer relocate. Be it cities or fenced in farmlands animals no longer have the ability to migrate properly.

The other interesting idea he brought up was the notion that without sympathy and cooperation humans wouldn't have been able to survive up until now. Why? Bipedalism. If you have four legs and wound one, you can get around alright. If you have two and wound one...well you're out of luck. He described bipedalism as a disadvantage from an evolutionary standpoint. How many here have broken a leg or an ankle? How many are in wheelchairs or use canes? In pre-historic times, unless someone cared for you, you were good as dead. His argument, never explicitly stated, seemed to be that sympathy developed, in part, as a survival mechanism for the race as a whole. He gave his own case as an example. If no one had pulled him out of a plane wreck, after his legs were severely wounded, he would be dead right now. Instead someone stuck around in the crash to save him.

So my question to the masses is, how do we keep bio diversity as the earth warms? Do you care?

Do you think cooperation and sympathy are signs of intelligence or evolutionary responses?

I sometimes think of humans as something that will force every other species to evolve or die. Those animals that profit by us *mostly refuse eaters and things we keep as pets or food* will be the least likely to change since they have no need to. As to how to keep our current level of bio diversity, I don't think we can or will.

Cooperation and sympathy I think are more a sign of society than higher intellect, as a pack animal you need your pack to be strong in order for your own survival. These things stem from self interest of survival and not some high minded good will.

I'm sorry, I don't have much to say as it's late and I'm tired. I have a question though. Is he the son of the other famous "Leakey's" that (I think) discovered the pre-historic footprints in Africa and the Australiopithecine skulls? I assume so as it would be quite coincedental if it wasn't the same family.

My thought's on one of your questions are: I think cooperation and sympathy are signs of both evolutionary responses and intelligence. First the intelligence comes into play by recognizing that you need to rely on others for your survival (therefore, sympathy). As most being's begin to realize this, the evolutionary response naturally becomes "cooperation". You all understand that in order to survive, you have to depend on the others in a time of need and they understand the same thing. You scratch my back and I'll scratch your's. In the end it has led to what we now know as "community". Or I suppose the modern "human race" :) Then again, which came first, the chicken or the egg?!

Ali

Intelligence is not required to herd, hunt as a group, or help each other. imo
It just has been worked out over time.

Yes. Richard is the second(?) son of Louis and Mary Leakey. Discoverers of Australopithecus Boisei, and Australopithecus Afarensis in the Olduvai Gorge.

I saw Richard Leakey speak at Creighton University, in 1991. Before he even began his speech, he said "If you are a Creationist....Leave now. I don't have time to debate you." About a dozen people just got up and left.

dolphins, whales, and geese look after their own in that same sympathetic model. It's not any different in socialization of groups.

As far as migration is concerned, domesticated animals never migrated. Wild animals that do migrate, continue to do so. Does he have any evidence to support his claims?

It has been documented that a group of elephants changed habitat and food source because a baby was born without a trunk! The baby would not have been able to survive if they had stayed in thier more 'natural' enviornment... the whole heard changed lifestyle for this little one. I think this shows intelligence more so than evolutionary response.

yeah, elephants should be studied more. they have a mind, and display interesting behavour. I got to sit on one once :-)

He also spoke of an elephant who lost it's trunk due to a trap. Another elephant in the herd trunk fed him till they lost track of the group.

Leakey seems to have calmed down regarding the creationists. He acknowledged that here in Texas a good portion of the crowd was probably creationist, and then went on.

On a side note his daughter Louise is also active in paleoanthropology now.