Ancestors of Homo Sapiens Hunted by Birds

CFTM writes "The associate press writer, Alexandra Zavis, reports that 'A South African anthropologist said Thursday his research into the death nearly 2 million years ago of an ape-man shows human ancestors were hunted by birds.' The article raises some really fascinating questions, particularly when one begins to think about the evolutionary impact that this may have had on humans." From the article: "The Ohio State study determined that eagles would swoop down, pierce monkey skulls with their thumb-like back talons, then hover while their prey died before returning to tear at the skull. Examination of thousands of monkey remains produced a pattern of damage done by birds, including holes and ragged cuts in the shallow bones behind the eye sockets. Berger went back to the Taung skull, and found traces of the ragged cuts behind the eye sockets. He said none of the researchers who had for decades been debating how the child died had noticed the eye socket damage before."

How apt!

[mrseigen]

Nothing for you to see here. Please move along.

Slashdot is in league with the birds.

Suddenly...

[Guppy06]

I don't feel so bad about wind power any more.

Re:Birds of Prey or Carrion Birds?

[Private Taco]

"I've seen vultures pick a corpse clean and they probably worked pretty hard to get at the fat and oil rich brain ... the easiest access being the eyes."

You worked at Microsoft too?

Sea gulls + French Fries + Fast Food Parking Lot

[xoip]

Story reminds me of trying to eat fries outside a fast food joint and fighting off the seagulls.

Re:Old news, some doubt

[ratnerstar]

It's extremely old news; I saw a documentary about this from 1963 [imdb.com].

Re:Birds of Prey or Carrion Birds?

[Wordsmith]

Because, Geico commercials not withstanding, they're not around to defend themselves?

I for one. . .

[Anonymous Coward]

I for one say farewell to our old bird overlords.

the circle of life

[Belseth]

There a kind of symetry involved that birds once considered us fast food and now we eat deep fried birds as fast food. I wonder if we gave them high cholesterol?

Re:KFC for Vendetta

[dnoyeb]

Well it might explain the purpose of the Afro.

Re:Those must have been BIG birds....

[A beautiful mind]

"it would have to be a LOTR-size eagle. Maybe Gandalf called in an airstrike?"

Oh yea, I'm on slashdot baby.

So where have they gone?

[utexaspunk]

What happened to all these gigantic human-hunting birds? Did humans kill them all? It seems like they'd still be pretty successful, especially in rural areas. I'm glad I don't have to constantly be on the lookout for giant birds that could swoop down from the sky and pierce my brain with its talons through my eyeballs to let me dangle until I die. That's pretty horrific- someone should make a movie where a crazy scientist does some Jurassic Park shit and brings these birds back from extinction by crossbreeding them with pigeons. Being part pigeon, they multiply rapidly and quickly spread to the mainland US to terrorize the population....

Re:Birds of Prey or Carrion Birds?

[Basehart]

"I think you should read the article a little more closely."

You insensitive clod. I would, but some giant bird just clawed my eyes out!

I am editing wikipedia

[this great guy]

to recategorize The Birds (1963) as a 'documentary'.

This is nothing new

[Ikoma Andy]

I got chicks following me everywhere I go.

Re:Er..

[Darby]

Couldn't the birds have attacked AFTER death?

Let me see if I have this straight...

You're postulating that zombie chickens used to plague the earth?!?

I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Still happening to this day !

[steveoc]

Im so glad that somreone has had the guts to step forward and talk about this problem, since its still happening to this very day, and possibly because of the awful nature of this situation, it remains a deep and unspoken taboo.

Look up in the sky on any given day - and behold the clouds, the blue skies, the sunshine ... and the circling sillouettes of those predators of the sky. Their beady eyes ever watchful for an opportunity to swoop and claim their victims from amongst the innocent below.

It was only weeks ago that I was having a picnic by the river with my girlfriend and her 2 gorgeous children. Many other families were there as well, happy, laughing, breathing the fresh air and revelling in the sunshine. During this blissfull experience, I couldnt help but notice the sight of a pack of ibises chasing a young child of about 3 years old. The child was wailing in terror, and the ibises eventually cornered the victim in the reeds, tripped him over, and began to peck greedily at his flesh. The child's wailing died down to the replaced only by the squelching sounds of torn flesh.

Whilst this awful scenario unfolded, everyone - including the child's parents, seemed to be totally oblivious to this horror. Countless generations of conditioning have left humankind in a position where we turn a blind eye to the sadistic excesses of our avian overlords.

"Oh my - arnt the ants bad today !" explaimed my girlfriend. Yes, the ants were out in small numbers, but the shocking fact is that she made this statement as an ibis trotted triumphantly past us, dragging a ropey length of some unnamed human organ from its most recent victim - that cornered child !. This march of triumph was conducted in full view of everyone present - however it seems that acknowledging this sight was soooo clearly taboo that it remained blocked in the minds of the observers. I cannot forget the blazing triumph in the eyes of that Ibis, nor the mocking grin sculpted permanently onto its beak !

And yesterday - queuing up in the local bank branch to deposit some cheques - there were at least a dozen people in the queue, all waiting patiently for service. Whilst things proceeded quickly enough, a few people were heard to mutter jokingly how they thought that the bank could afford to put on some more staff to speed up the level of service. A valid complaint perhaps ..... BUT .. during the 5 minutes that I was in that queue, the ceiling in the building was smashed inwards by the razor sharp talons of a spiteful Hawk and its over-grown mate. The evil pair of them fell down onto the head of an old lady, wantonly ripped at her eyes, and then dragged her off towards the exit. At the door waiting for them was a flock of gleeful vultures .. ready to make fast on this unexpected feast.

Walking out of the bank, people continued about their business and even stepped over the grisly remains of the old lady - AS IF SHE WASNT THERE, AND AS IF THEY HAD NOT SEEN A THING. Smiling to themselves, they remembered the worst thing at the bank being the not-so-bad wait for service.

The deeds of birds remain blocked in our minds.

WHY ?

Re:The Cycle

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a somewhat similer relationship with vaginas.

Vagina makes me
I hunt Vagina
Disease carried by vagina kills me

Holy Shit, That Explains It

[AliasMoze]

That totally explains my tendency to run and swat everytime a giant eagle starts clawing at my skull. I thought it was just me, but I guess it's instinct.