![]() Here is where this line of thought brings me. It is the cycle of evolution to which I write. Perhaps over countless decades or centuries there would be a split between these upright striding chimpanzees and their knuckling counterparts. ![]() Survival of the fittest suggests that the best equipped will live (and thus reproduce). ![]() However, I will suggest that as shelter improves and hunting/gathering becomes more efficient, the time for abstract thought increases. I won't go so far as to suggest that this (possible) new species would soon be gathered around campfires. Oliver (at least according to all accounts I was able to find) was able to learn a great deal about his surroundings. This would in fact further increase their chances of survival. If this were to happen, I wonder how long it would be until they would "realize" that by working together, they could carry large objects over distances (perhaps working together to build primative structures consisting of downed trees). What if this hidden string of genetic code was dominant (as brown eyes tend to dominate blue eyes)? If this is in fact the case, perhaps in just a few generations there would be dozens of arguably "human-ish" looking primates striding about the jungle. The question is: What if whatever it is that caused Oliver to have an "evolved" appearance and more importantly to stand upright would be passed down to his offspring. Unfortunately, I know very little about the world of genetics, so I put this forward simply as a curiousity. Here is the second event that would have to come to pass. I understand that while in captivity he tended to dismiss other chimpanzees in favor of human companionship, I can't help but feel he may have acted differently towards his own kind if he lacked humans to compare his kin with. For these reasons I find it highly likely that at least one point he would have mated. While chimpanzees are inherintly intelligent, Oliver is arguably at or near the top of the "Chimp I.Q." scale. Much like our own ancestors, his chances for survival are greatly increased by seeing the world from his most advantageous position. So here we find a young chimpanzee who walks on upright. Ultimately this lead to man's ability to create fire and possibly to become "spiritual" as he finally had the time to observe his surroundings and contemplate his role in it. While there are other advantages to walking on two feet, the ultimate side affect was that as the amount of time and energy spent on basic survival decreased, the time for "thinking" increased. This allowed him to survey the land for predators above the tall grasses and allowed him to transport items over distances. We have heard from experts on evolution for decades that the one event that probably had the single most important impact on the survival of early man was that, at some point in prehistoric time, a primate stood upright. Burger never comes across Oliver in the first place. Primarily, this scenario requires that Mr. To explain my string of thought, there are a few events that would have to occurr (and, of course can never be proven). Perhaps it is this fact that leads me to my "theory" (for lack of a better word). As the scientists whom performed the genetic work confirmed, he is NOT a mutant chimpanzee or a new species of primate. As mentioned above, Oliver IS in fact a chimpanzee.
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