What Happened to the Hominids Who May Have Been Smarter Than Us?

Very Interesting about the recent discovery of our large brained ancesters. An excerpt:

Two neuroscientists say that a now-extinct race of humans had big eyes, child-like faces, and an average intelligence of around 150, making them geniuses among Homo sapiens.

"“There’s just one thing we haven’t quite dared to mention. It’s this, and you won’t believe it. It’s all happened already. Back there in the past, ten thousand years ago. The man of the future, with the big brain, the small teeth. He lived in Africa. His brain was bigger than your brain. His face was straight and small, almost a child’s face.”

Sounds like the "grey" aliens and drawings found in some ancient societies...and maybe connected to the traditions of some cultures to "board" their heads to get elongated skulls.

this is from Discover
link to discover

What think you????



[edit on 18-1-2010 by wiseone11]

any additional info you would care to share?

This is interesting.....

I would assume we are somewhat related to those that watch over us......

Might be why we are still here...

The link will take you to the article...discover is a reliable source...I haven't done much searching Boskops man...this is controversial, but well founded IMHO

The Wikipedia article on Boskops man. Interesting stuff. It doesn't look like it is a different species after all.

We did with Boskops what we did with every other version of man that was bright.... same thing we do with that kid at the back of the class that knows the answer to everything...

We kicked it's arse...

Even in business or life today...aggression is valued more than insight, brainy people are "nerds" Jocks are "cool"

Let's face it...

If we valued brains... we'd have the first Dolphin in office by now for president...

reply to post by mopusvindictus


From the article

Even if brain size accounts for just 10 to 20 percent of an IQ test score, it is possible to conjecture what kind of average scores would be made by a group of people with 30 percent larger brains. We can readily calculate that a population with a mean brain size of 1,750 cc would be expected to have an average IQ of 149.

The Sperm Whale has a 17 pound brain.

As mentioned before, dolphins have bigger brains.

The problem I have with the assumption of "bigger brains, more smarts" is that we cannot prove this without a doubt. Also, the size of the skull is within sizes reported in modern humans, though it is a large brain size.

Its not like this guy left a series of thesis papers or anything. It would be fun to think of another species in the past that were smarter than humans, but that obviously wasn't as desirable of a trait if they no longer exist.

reply to post by DINSTAAR


More than fair... I agree entirely, it's not proof that they were actually more intelligent...

I think though, we have a long way to go in regards to this sort of research...

I do find it curious that the Dolphin can learn to understand us but through this century we haven't budged an iota of what Dolphins are saying to one another... given the complexity, I can not say for sure but it certainly seems as though they have language...

Frankly...

I have always gone by the Emotion factor anyway... if it seems to exhibit emotion, let it be...

Nice Thread!

We either killed 'em all or they built spaceships/stargates and got the heck out of here...

perhaps they saw us coming and got out of the way.
they could have achieved technology sufficient to leave earth.
look how far our tech has grown in 200 yrs.
not inconceivable that they would be able to leave.

not saying this happened,just a theory to think on.

It's just a thought...but maybe we are just a long line of species that came along after the various cataclisyms that destroyed life in the distant past....or the bright ones took off and left us on our own.



It is still interesting that there does seem to be a few artifacts that show up from time to time and legends and myths (they say all contain a seed of truth) that talk about or indicate an advanced race..

Here is more information on boskops Man...the first link has photos...I don't know how to attach photos to the article yet.

The below photos are of the Boskop skull taken from ""The evidence afforded by the Boskop skull of a new species of primitive man (Homo capensis)".
skull photos and comparison


anthropological discussion

Hey as a kid I had a neighbor with hydrocephalus he had a huge skull and an IQ around 70.

Size doesn't matter up there!

reply to post by DINSTAAR


We do know that dolphins process information faster than us. Larger brain or not they are smarter no matter which way you slice it. Good thing they don't have thumbs or we would have killed them all out of fear of a inter species takeover resulting in humans no longer being the biggest bear in the woods.

All jokes aside. I don't think it has much to do with size but rather how it works.

Look at our cousin the chimpanzee. Sure they haven't developed technology and they aren't so good with mathematics and all that but their brains can do something ours cant. They actually have a better memory.



Again, we must consider that our brains are limited in certain areas where others may be exceptional. Since we really have no idea how they really work anyway it is a lost cause to claim anything re: intelligence of an ancestor or another species.

I definitely think it is more of a case of balance. Having a high IQ can lead to not being able to relate to others or to be too introspective, and can actually be a handicap.

I personally know a few "genius" level people and I will tell you this now. They would have been eaten by something or fallen off a cliff by the age of 5 if it were not for the " average" IQs looking after them.

I think it is all about right place, right time, right balance.

well in the case of dolphins, they have bigger brains, but my guess is a lot of that is taken up sorting out the information they get from echo location. Same as if we have 4 eyes we would have visual cortexes that are much bigger and that wouldnt mean were more intelligent.

Hehe i wonder if well speciate into two separate species, the jocks n the nerds two completely different selection pressures

~TR