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$begingroup$
I have a species which is about half the size of a human. They live on a continent composed of large islands. I'm looking at their migration history.
The thing is, I'm likely to have the origin of the mutations that make them intelligent on a small island. Now this island is about 20 to 30 km away from any other landmass, be it other islands or the rest of the continent (which is large islands over 1000km across).
The question is: for a species that's developing intelligence, if it's half the size of humans and somewhere on the evolution track approximately at the same level as early Australopithecus, how far could it travel over water? Would a raft be able to carry it across those 20 km? Would it depend on currents? And would enough individuals be able to make it across to start new populations on the other side of the sea?
I know there are theories of Homo Erectus crossing large bodies of water on rafts, even some thinking Habilis might have done it, but as far as I can tell, Australopithecus was stuck in Africa and here I'm not sure if they'd escape their small island, let alone the larger one that is over 2000 km across.
technology travel shipbuilding prehistoric-times
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
$endgroup$
add a comment
|
$begingroup$
I have a species which is about half the size of a human. They live on a continent composed of large islands. I'm looking at their migration history.
The thing is, I'm likely to have the origin of the mutations that make them intelligent on a small island. Now this island is about 20 to 30 km away from any other landmass, be it other islands or the rest of the continent (which is large islands over 1000km across).
The question is: for a species that's developing intelligence, if it's half the size of humans and somewhere on the evolution track approximately at the same level as early Australopithecus, how far could it travel over water? Would a raft be able to carry it across those 20 km? Would it depend on currents? And would enough individuals be able to make it across to start new populations on the other side of the sea?
I know there are theories of Homo Erectus crossing large bodies of water on rafts, even some thinking Habilis might have done it, but as far as I can tell, Australopithecus was stuck in Africa and here I'm not sure if they'd escape their small island, let alone the larger one that is over 2000 km across.
technology travel shipbuilding prehistoric-times
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Two questions. Are you asking for safe, routine travel or is it enough if just a few who make the attempt will survive? And how advanced are your aliens? Do they have stone tools? Fire?
$endgroup$
– o.m.
8 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
They had boats in the stone age. (Remember that the most widely used construction material has always been wood, and it still is.) (And people can swim 20 kilometers.)
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
How many people swim across the 33 km wide English channel per year, on the average? One? Ten? One hundred?
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@o.m. as I said they are equivalent to australopithecus, so we're talking pre stone tools. They wouldn't even necessarily be long-term bipeds at this point. They'd have larger brains and a change in jaw size leading to changes in diet but that's basically it. Think 4 million years ago, borderlining on ardipithecus and close to fossils like orrorin. As for swimming across the channel, people know something's on the other side. Here, it's not as clear… they wouldn't venture out like that, would they?
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
$begingroup$
I have a species which is about half the size of a human. They live on a continent composed of large islands. I'm looking at their migration history.
The thing is, I'm likely to have the origin of the mutations that make them intelligent on a small island. Now this island is about 20 to 30 km away from any other landmass, be it other islands or the rest of the continent (which is large islands over 1000km across).
The question is: for a species that's developing intelligence, if it's half the size of humans and somewhere on the evolution track approximately at the same level as early Australopithecus, how far could it travel over water? Would a raft be able to carry it across those 20 km? Would it depend on currents? And would enough individuals be able to make it across to start new populations on the other side of the sea?
I know there are theories of Homo Erectus crossing large bodies of water on rafts, even some thinking Habilis might have done it, but as far as I can tell, Australopithecus was stuck in Africa and here I'm not sure if they'd escape their small island, let alone the larger one that is over 2000 km across.
technology travel shipbuilding prehistoric-times
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
$endgroup$
I have a species which is about half the size of a human. They live on a continent composed of large islands. I'm looking at their migration history.
The thing is, I'm likely to have the origin of the mutations that make them intelligent on a small island. Now this island is about 20 to 30 km away from any other landmass, be it other islands or the rest of the continent (which is large islands over 1000km across).
The question is: for a species that's developing intelligence, if it's half the size of humans and somewhere on the evolution track approximately at the same level as early Australopithecus, how far could it travel over water? Would a raft be able to carry it across those 20 km? Would it depend on currents? And would enough individuals be able to make it across to start new populations on the other side of the sea?
I know there are theories of Homo Erectus crossing large bodies of water on rafts, even some thinking Habilis might have done it, but as far as I can tell, Australopithecus was stuck in Africa and here I'm not sure if they'd escape their small island, let alone the larger one that is over 2000 km across.
technology travel shipbuilding prehistoric-times
technology travel shipbuilding prehistoric-times
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
edited 7 hours ago
Cyn
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
19.1k2 gold badges37 silver badges86 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
asked 8 hours ago
NierninwaNierninwa
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
3141 gold badge2 silver badges9 bronze badges
$begingroup$
Two questions. Are you asking for safe, routine travel or is it enough if just a few who make the attempt will survive? And how advanced are your aliens? Do they have stone tools? Fire?
$endgroup$
– o.m.
8 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
They had boats in the stone age. (Remember that the most widely used construction material has always been wood, and it still is.) (And people can swim 20 kilometers.)
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
How many people swim across the 33 km wide English channel per year, on the average? One? Ten? One hundred?
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@o.m. as I said they are equivalent to australopithecus, so we're talking pre stone tools. They wouldn't even necessarily be long-term bipeds at this point. They'd have larger brains and a change in jaw size leading to changes in diet but that's basically it. Think 4 million years ago, borderlining on ardipithecus and close to fossils like orrorin. As for swimming across the channel, people know something's on the other side. Here, it's not as clear… they wouldn't venture out like that, would they?
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
$begingroup$
Two questions. Are you asking for safe, routine travel or is it enough if just a few who make the attempt will survive? And how advanced are your aliens? Do they have stone tools? Fire?
$endgroup$
– o.m.
8 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
They had boats in the stone age. (Remember that the most widely used construction material has always been wood, and it still is.) (And people can swim 20 kilometers.)
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
How many people swim across the 33 km wide English channel per year, on the average? One? Ten? One hundred?
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@o.m. as I said they are equivalent to australopithecus, so we're talking pre stone tools. They wouldn't even necessarily be long-term bipeds at this point. They'd have larger brains and a change in jaw size leading to changes in diet but that's basically it. Think 4 million years ago, borderlining on ardipithecus and close to fossils like orrorin. As for swimming across the channel, people know something's on the other side. Here, it's not as clear… they wouldn't venture out like that, would they?
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Two questions. Are you asking for safe, routine travel or is it enough if just a few who make the attempt will survive? And how advanced are your aliens? Do they have stone tools? Fire?
$endgroup$
– o.m.
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Two questions. Are you asking for safe, routine travel or is it enough if just a few who make the attempt will survive? And how advanced are your aliens? Do they have stone tools? Fire?
$endgroup$
– o.m.
8 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
They had boats in the stone age. (Remember that the most widely used construction material has always been wood, and it still is.) (And people can swim 20 kilometers.)
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
They had boats in the stone age. (Remember that the most widely used construction material has always been wood, and it still is.) (And people can swim 20 kilometers.)
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
How many people swim across the 33 km wide English channel per year, on the average? One? Ten? One hundred?
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
How many people swim across the 33 km wide English channel per year, on the average? One? Ten? One hundred?
$endgroup$
– AlexP
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@o.m. as I said they are equivalent to australopithecus, so we're talking pre stone tools. They wouldn't even necessarily be long-term bipeds at this point. They'd have larger brains and a change in jaw size leading to changes in diet but that's basically it. Think 4 million years ago, borderlining on ardipithecus and close to fossils like orrorin. As for swimming across the channel, people know something's on the other side. Here, it's not as clear… they wouldn't venture out like that, would they?
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@o.m. as I said they are equivalent to australopithecus, so we're talking pre stone tools. They wouldn't even necessarily be long-term bipeds at this point. They'd have larger brains and a change in jaw size leading to changes in diet but that's basically it. Think 4 million years ago, borderlining on ardipithecus and close to fossils like orrorin. As for swimming across the channel, people know something's on the other side. Here, it's not as clear… they wouldn't venture out like that, would they?
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Homo Florensis traveled over water.
Your prehumans might be comparable to Homo Florensis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis. They were hominids about 1 meter tall, roughly contemporaneous with australopithicines in Africa. To get to the island where their bones were discovered they would have had to cross a 20 km strait.
Because of a deep neighbouring strait, Flores remained isolated during
the Wisconsin glaciation (the most recent glacial period), despite the
low sea levels that united Sundaland.[66][67] This has led the
discoverers of H. floresiensis to conclude that the species, or its
ancestors, could only have reached the isolated island by water
transport, perhaps arriving in bamboo rafts around 100,000 years ago
(or, if they are H. erectus, then about 1 million years ago). At this
time, the islands of Komodo and Flores were joined, leaving a
12-mile-wide (19 km) strait with Komodo visible from the mainland.
This idea of H. floresiensis using advanced technology and cooperation
on a modern human level has prompted the discoverers to hypothesize
that H. floresiensis almost certainly had language.
If they can do it so can your people. Maybe they are your people!
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Though one might ask whether the ancestors of H. florensis were small before crossing the strait, or whether they evolved to be small due to island dwarfism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
$endgroup$
– jamesqf
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@jamesqf yes, if I remember correctly a theory was that floresiensis were an island dwarfism version of either erectus or habilis (but most probably erectus cause he was the most common) But I guess it would be possible… although HF was much more evolved and I'm not sure if land would be visible from the island
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
$begingroup$
Rafts are surprisingly durable. The most famous raft I can think of is the legendary Kon-Tiki which was built to test where the Polynesians came from. The construction took intelligence, but it was built from balsa wood, hemp rope, bamboo, and only a few other things. And it traveled almost 7,000 kilometers (albeit in 93 days). Your species should be fine.
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
$endgroup$
2
$begingroup$
Those Polynesians were not Australopithecus, but Homo sapiens. They had skills to build up food reserves for fairly long travels.
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
True. The real problem is water, not victuals - the Kon Tiki crew caught fish. Unfortunately, the tech level isn't specified, but building watertight barrels isn't that difficult.
$endgroup$
– Halfthawed
7 hours ago
add a comment
|
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Homo Florensis traveled over water.
Your prehumans might be comparable to Homo Florensis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis. They were hominids about 1 meter tall, roughly contemporaneous with australopithicines in Africa. To get to the island where their bones were discovered they would have had to cross a 20 km strait.
Because of a deep neighbouring strait, Flores remained isolated during
the Wisconsin glaciation (the most recent glacial period), despite the
low sea levels that united Sundaland.[66][67] This has led the
discoverers of H. floresiensis to conclude that the species, or its
ancestors, could only have reached the isolated island by water
transport, perhaps arriving in bamboo rafts around 100,000 years ago
(or, if they are H. erectus, then about 1 million years ago). At this
time, the islands of Komodo and Flores were joined, leaving a
12-mile-wide (19 km) strait with Komodo visible from the mainland.
This idea of H. floresiensis using advanced technology and cooperation
on a modern human level has prompted the discoverers to hypothesize
that H. floresiensis almost certainly had language.
If they can do it so can your people. Maybe they are your people!
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Though one might ask whether the ancestors of H. florensis were small before crossing the strait, or whether they evolved to be small due to island dwarfism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
$endgroup$
– jamesqf
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@jamesqf yes, if I remember correctly a theory was that floresiensis were an island dwarfism version of either erectus or habilis (but most probably erectus cause he was the most common) But I guess it would be possible… although HF was much more evolved and I'm not sure if land would be visible from the island
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
$begingroup$
Homo Florensis traveled over water.
Your prehumans might be comparable to Homo Florensis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis. They were hominids about 1 meter tall, roughly contemporaneous with australopithicines in Africa. To get to the island where their bones were discovered they would have had to cross a 20 km strait.
Because of a deep neighbouring strait, Flores remained isolated during
the Wisconsin glaciation (the most recent glacial period), despite the
low sea levels that united Sundaland.[66][67] This has led the
discoverers of H. floresiensis to conclude that the species, or its
ancestors, could only have reached the isolated island by water
transport, perhaps arriving in bamboo rafts around 100,000 years ago
(or, if they are H. erectus, then about 1 million years ago). At this
time, the islands of Komodo and Flores were joined, leaving a
12-mile-wide (19 km) strait with Komodo visible from the mainland.
This idea of H. floresiensis using advanced technology and cooperation
on a modern human level has prompted the discoverers to hypothesize
that H. floresiensis almost certainly had language.
If they can do it so can your people. Maybe they are your people!
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Though one might ask whether the ancestors of H. florensis were small before crossing the strait, or whether they evolved to be small due to island dwarfism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
$endgroup$
– jamesqf
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@jamesqf yes, if I remember correctly a theory was that floresiensis were an island dwarfism version of either erectus or habilis (but most probably erectus cause he was the most common) But I guess it would be possible… although HF was much more evolved and I'm not sure if land would be visible from the island
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
$begingroup$
Homo Florensis traveled over water.
Your prehumans might be comparable to Homo Florensis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis. They were hominids about 1 meter tall, roughly contemporaneous with australopithicines in Africa. To get to the island where their bones were discovered they would have had to cross a 20 km strait.
Because of a deep neighbouring strait, Flores remained isolated during
the Wisconsin glaciation (the most recent glacial period), despite the
low sea levels that united Sundaland.[66][67] This has led the
discoverers of H. floresiensis to conclude that the species, or its
ancestors, could only have reached the isolated island by water
transport, perhaps arriving in bamboo rafts around 100,000 years ago
(or, if they are H. erectus, then about 1 million years ago). At this
time, the islands of Komodo and Flores were joined, leaving a
12-mile-wide (19 km) strait with Komodo visible from the mainland.
This idea of H. floresiensis using advanced technology and cooperation
on a modern human level has prompted the discoverers to hypothesize
that H. floresiensis almost certainly had language.
If they can do it so can your people. Maybe they are your people!
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
$endgroup$
Homo Florensis traveled over water.
Your prehumans might be comparable to Homo Florensis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis. They were hominids about 1 meter tall, roughly contemporaneous with australopithicines in Africa. To get to the island where their bones were discovered they would have had to cross a 20 km strait.
Because of a deep neighbouring strait, Flores remained isolated during
the Wisconsin glaciation (the most recent glacial period), despite the
low sea levels that united Sundaland.[66][67] This has led the
discoverers of H. floresiensis to conclude that the species, or its
ancestors, could only have reached the isolated island by water
transport, perhaps arriving in bamboo rafts around 100,000 years ago
(or, if they are H. erectus, then about 1 million years ago). At this
time, the islands of Komodo and Flores were joined, leaving a
12-mile-wide (19 km) strait with Komodo visible from the mainland.
This idea of H. floresiensis using advanced technology and cooperation
on a modern human level has prompted the discoverers to hypothesize
that H. floresiensis almost certainly had language.
If they can do it so can your people. Maybe they are your people!
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
WillkWillk
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
138k34 gold badges262 silver badges575 bronze badges
1
$begingroup$
Though one might ask whether the ancestors of H. florensis were small before crossing the strait, or whether they evolved to be small due to island dwarfism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
$endgroup$
– jamesqf
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@jamesqf yes, if I remember correctly a theory was that floresiensis were an island dwarfism version of either erectus or habilis (but most probably erectus cause he was the most common) But I guess it would be possible… although HF was much more evolved and I'm not sure if land would be visible from the island
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
1
$begingroup$
Though one might ask whether the ancestors of H. florensis were small before crossing the strait, or whether they evolved to be small due to island dwarfism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
$endgroup$
– jamesqf
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@jamesqf yes, if I remember correctly a theory was that floresiensis were an island dwarfism version of either erectus or habilis (but most probably erectus cause he was the most common) But I guess it would be possible… although HF was much more evolved and I'm not sure if land would be visible from the island
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
Though one might ask whether the ancestors of H. florensis were small before crossing the strait, or whether they evolved to be small due to island dwarfism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
$endgroup$
– jamesqf
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
Though one might ask whether the ancestors of H. florensis were small before crossing the strait, or whether they evolved to be small due to island dwarfism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
$endgroup$
– jamesqf
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@jamesqf yes, if I remember correctly a theory was that floresiensis were an island dwarfism version of either erectus or habilis (but most probably erectus cause he was the most common) But I guess it would be possible… although HF was much more evolved and I'm not sure if land would be visible from the island
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@jamesqf yes, if I remember correctly a theory was that floresiensis were an island dwarfism version of either erectus or habilis (but most probably erectus cause he was the most common) But I guess it would be possible… although HF was much more evolved and I'm not sure if land would be visible from the island
$endgroup$
– Nierninwa
6 hours ago
add a comment
|
$begingroup$
Rafts are surprisingly durable. The most famous raft I can think of is the legendary Kon-Tiki which was built to test where the Polynesians came from. The construction took intelligence, but it was built from balsa wood, hemp rope, bamboo, and only a few other things. And it traveled almost 7,000 kilometers (albeit in 93 days). Your species should be fine.
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
$endgroup$
2
$begingroup$
Those Polynesians were not Australopithecus, but Homo sapiens. They had skills to build up food reserves for fairly long travels.
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
True. The real problem is water, not victuals - the Kon Tiki crew caught fish. Unfortunately, the tech level isn't specified, but building watertight barrels isn't that difficult.
$endgroup$
– Halfthawed
7 hours ago
add a comment
|
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Rafts are surprisingly durable. The most famous raft I can think of is the legendary Kon-Tiki which was built to test where the Polynesians came from. The construction took intelligence, but it was built from balsa wood, hemp rope, bamboo, and only a few other things. And it traveled almost 7,000 kilometers (albeit in 93 days). Your species should be fine.
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
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2
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Those Polynesians were not Australopithecus, but Homo sapiens. They had skills to build up food reserves for fairly long travels.
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– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
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True. The real problem is water, not victuals - the Kon Tiki crew caught fish. Unfortunately, the tech level isn't specified, but building watertight barrels isn't that difficult.
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– Halfthawed
7 hours ago
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$begingroup$
Rafts are surprisingly durable. The most famous raft I can think of is the legendary Kon-Tiki which was built to test where the Polynesians came from. The construction took intelligence, but it was built from balsa wood, hemp rope, bamboo, and only a few other things. And it traveled almost 7,000 kilometers (albeit in 93 days). Your species should be fine.
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
$endgroup$
Rafts are surprisingly durable. The most famous raft I can think of is the legendary Kon-Tiki which was built to test where the Polynesians came from. The construction took intelligence, but it was built from balsa wood, hemp rope, bamboo, and only a few other things. And it traveled almost 7,000 kilometers (albeit in 93 days). Your species should be fine.
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
answered 7 hours ago
HalfthawedHalfthawed
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
7,2661 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
2
$begingroup$
Those Polynesians were not Australopithecus, but Homo sapiens. They had skills to build up food reserves for fairly long travels.
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
True. The real problem is water, not victuals - the Kon Tiki crew caught fish. Unfortunately, the tech level isn't specified, but building watertight barrels isn't that difficult.
$endgroup$
– Halfthawed
7 hours ago
add a comment
|
2
$begingroup$
Those Polynesians were not Australopithecus, but Homo sapiens. They had skills to build up food reserves for fairly long travels.
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
True. The real problem is water, not victuals - the Kon Tiki crew caught fish. Unfortunately, the tech level isn't specified, but building watertight barrels isn't that difficult.
$endgroup$
– Halfthawed
7 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
Those Polynesians were not Australopithecus, but Homo sapiens. They had skills to build up food reserves for fairly long travels.
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
Those Polynesians were not Australopithecus, but Homo sapiens. They had skills to build up food reserves for fairly long travels.
$endgroup$
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
True. The real problem is water, not victuals - the Kon Tiki crew caught fish. Unfortunately, the tech level isn't specified, but building watertight barrels isn't that difficult.
$endgroup$
– Halfthawed
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
True. The real problem is water, not victuals - the Kon Tiki crew caught fish. Unfortunately, the tech level isn't specified, but building watertight barrels isn't that difficult.
$endgroup$
– Halfthawed
7 hours ago
add a comment
|
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Two questions. Are you asking for safe, routine travel or is it enough if just a few who make the attempt will survive? And how advanced are your aliens? Do they have stone tools? Fire?
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– o.m.
8 hours ago
2
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They had boats in the stone age. (Remember that the most widely used construction material has always been wood, and it still is.) (And people can swim 20 kilometers.)
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– AlexP
7 hours ago
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How many people swim across the 33 km wide English channel per year, on the average? One? Ten? One hundred?
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– AlexP
7 hours ago
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@o.m. as I said they are equivalent to australopithecus, so we're talking pre stone tools. They wouldn't even necessarily be long-term bipeds at this point. They'd have larger brains and a change in jaw size leading to changes in diet but that's basically it. Think 4 million years ago, borderlining on ardipithecus and close to fossils like orrorin. As for swimming across the channel, people know something's on the other side. Here, it's not as clear… they wouldn't venture out like that, would they?
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– Nierninwa
6 hours ago