QuiteContrary, on 30 November 2012 - 03:52 AM, said:
I like musing "Never mind the DNA, what place/sense does this specific inter-species mating make in human evolutionary history?"
Not much wiggle room I feel.
QuiteContrary, on 30 November 2012 - 03:52 AM, said:
--What were the size of humans 15,000 years ago?
Same size you would see today. Perhaps generally slightly more robust due to a hunter gatherer lifestyle. We were well and truly into cave paintings by this time. That started about 40,00 years ago. We were clothing ourselves as well by that time frame, although we would not come up with shoes for another 7,000 years or so.
So sort of like hippies.
QuiteContrary, on 30 November 2012 - 03:52 AM, said:
--Who could this species we mated with potentially be?
Most hominids had been outcompeted by Homo Sapien by this time and were extinct. Smaller isolated populations of possible other species existed to as recently as 1200 years ago - possibly - however they were too isolated and small statured to be considered an option here. There is nobody left 15,000 years ago to have mated with. Neanderthal was well and truly a memory, as were the Denisovians. The suggested Paranthropus (in other ideals) was dust. Gigantopithecus would simply be a silly suggestion. Not even worth going there.
Homo sapiens idaltu were also dust too, but would have been a better choice for the ideal from a genetic point of view.
QuiteContrary, on 30 November 2012 - 03:52 AM, said:
--How long is 15,000 years in the evolutionary terms of a species?
Minuscule. Modern Man is surmised to have been treading ground for about 200,000 years.
QuiteContrary, on 30 November 2012 - 03:52 AM, said:
--Why did the interbreeding stop? What stopped the socializing with humans?
We outcompeted every other species.
Some humans though............
QuiteContrary, on 30 November 2012 - 03:52 AM, said:
--Why aren’t BF more like us? Tools, dwellings, fire, etc. BF, according to what we "know", seems to have “lost” most of its human traits except bipedalism.
Indeed, it makes no sense whatsoever for the larger stronger version of the species to give way to the smaller weaker species. Evolution just does not work like that.