quote:
Originally posted by peter borger:
dear Pamboli,
Imagine, you find two tracks of footprints next to each other printed in the sand. One track comprises small footprints, the other track are footprints twice as large. The conclusion would be that the tracks were left behind by two bipedal organisms. An unwarranted conlusion would be that the prints were left by two walking bipedals, a child and an adult. Another unwarranted conclusion would be that they were left by two bimorphic bipedals, a man with large and a wife with small prints. Maybe this analogy gives you an impression on conclusions and unwarranted conclusions.
Best wishes
Peter
It gives me the impression that you don't understand the subject matter. Bipedalism can be inferred from the pattern of the prints, just as can the quadrapedalism and the particular gait of the quadraped. Age can be inferred somewhat from the relative sizes of the prints, though less firmly. That the two prints are mother and child is a guess, and I think a good one, as they are travelling together. They could be aunt and niece, or just friends of the family though. I don't see what difference it makes. The dimorphism....? Well, since virtually every other mammal on the planet is dimorphic between the sexes with males larger, is this really such a long shot?
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