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Not sure if I like the implications of this, tbh. But it is what it is. Note the speculation that while our brains can´t evolve further, ape brains - at least hypothetically - could still do so. So "Planet of the Apes" is at theoretically possible? The idea that sugar rather than meat made our brains bigger is funny, since it sounds "gay" and "feminist". The sugar would have come from fruit and honey. And fruit could be gathered by females. But sure, Man the Hunter could be replaced by Man the Brave Slasher of Killer-Bees...
The implications I´m talking about is something else. So presumably part of our "junk DNA" came unplugged at some point in ape(ish) evolution, making our brains more complex and hence smarter almost by chance. Oookay. Let´s hope God put that junk in our cells, dude!
Another video on the Homo florensiensis situation. Recent research suggests that the "Hobbit" might not be a dwarfed Homo erectus (sensu stricto) but some kind of pre-human or almost-human. Perhaps an australopith (sensu latto)? I´m not surprised. I had a hunch in this direction already seven years ago. So can we go home now? Second breakfast, guys!
Red gorillas in the Congo? Yes, red. The Strait of Hormuz sea-serpent? Yes, the Strait of Hormuz. A faked video of surviving Carolina Parakeets, perhaps in the Okefenokee swamp? I admit I never heard *these* particular tall tales before! The parakeet video was the funniest part. The guy who "discovered" it (or rather faked it) was a very colorful character! Would be big on YouTube if he had lived today, LOL.
New research on the mysterious "human" (?) species known as Homo floresiensis suggests that they didn´t and couldn´t hunt dwarf elephants in their island habitat of Flores 100,000 years ago. Rather, the Hobbit (as this species of Homo is colloquially called) was feeding on carcasses of said pachyderm. The unfortunate proboscids had already been hunted and killed by Komodo dragons! That is, the extremely large monitor lizards known as "Komodo dragons" (this species of reptile is of course still around).
Not sure what to make of this. If Homo floresiensis is an example of insular dwarfism - a shrunken Homo erectus as it were - then the erecti weren´t fully "human" in our sense of the term, still being subject to natural selection (which our species can at least try to escape or transcend). But isn´t there also evidence that Homo erectus were smarter than hitherto assumed? I mean, how on earth did they even *reach* Flores in the first place?
So I don´t know. Something strange is going on here. Either evolution can in extreme cases "go backward" even in a lineage were intelligence is developing. Or the good ol´ Hobbit wasn´t really a human in the first place, but some kind of stray australopith a long way from home...
Both perspectives are pretty mind-boggling. So if Frodo and his 57 half-cousins keep you up at night, pray that the Hobbits (those at Flores) were just monkeys!
"Apparently, some so-called scientists (big game hunters, more like it) of the Afrikan Ape persuasion claim that tigers and panthers are products of a blind process of evolution which didn´t have us in mind?! May the holy were-cat curse and consume these blasphemers!"
"Oh, and they claim that tigers are orange and panthers black, when everyone knows that we´re actually green and blue. I mean, what the heck is `orange´anyway? As any feline philosopher can tell you, color is an objective property of reality."
"Read my lips before I eat you: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ORANGE ON THE PLANET OF THE CATS!!!"
This wouldn´t be controversial, had it not been for the fact that chimpanzees are our evolutionary cousins. So a "civil war" between chimps in darkest Africa is a thing. Should I or you tell the non-paying public about the bonobo, the vegan-bisexual chimpanzee and their matriarchal chimp outs?
Why animal rights and veganism doesn´t work. The brains of our ancestors (Homo erectus again) became big thanks to hunting and feasting on primordial elephants...
A sequel to the previous blog post. Homo erectus collected crystals already 800,000 years ago. Other hominins have also valued these little trinkets. Here is a quote from the paper linked below: "Notably, none of those crystals was used as a tool, weapon or ornament. They were neither worked, modified or repurposed in any way, nor do they show signs of use as jewels. Yet, hominins valued these stones enough to transport them from the geological outcrops to the caves used as refuges. These findings suggest that, almost 800,000 years ago— possibly earlier if additional claims are confirmed—, H. erectus displayed attraction to quartz and calcite crystals, treasuring them for reasons beyond practical necessity." The authors point out that in Homo sapiens, this would surely have been interpreted as evidence for symbolic thought!
Unfortunetely, the bulk of the paper is less impressive. Why is it strange that a few chimpanzees from circuses who are used to seeing and handling objects of human interest find crystals sufficiently alluring to collect them? Clue: it isn´t, and the researchers even admit it themselves. They recommend studies on wild apes instead...
This is sheer speculation, of course, but it´s still intriguing. Hindus actually worship ammonite fossils (shaligrama stones), so that´s certainly a thing. But did Homo erectus really have a symbolic culture? I mean, could they even speak? It would be absolutely fascinating if the erecti were "spiritual but not religious"! Apparently, even chimpanzees collect shiny stones with no obvious utilitarian purpose...
Easter Bunny time! Guess which household pets you are most closely related to? Yepp, rodents and lagomorphs. As in: mice, rats, hamsters and...rabbits.
I´m actually not that surprised.
But OK, if you have a gibbon as a pet, I suppose *that* would be your closest mammalian cousin!
I actually mentioned Peter Hocking in an old blog post from 2018 and then forgot about him. So here is the return of this maverick zoologist! Please disregard the weird "Sabian" astro-stuff somewhere in the middle. That´s just the AI having a hash out...
Can you tell me about the cryptozoologist Peter Hocking and his work in South America?
Peter J. Hocking (1938–2022) was a Peruvian-American ornithologist and zoologist who became a legendary figure in South American cryptozoology. While he was a respected scientist—discovering several legitimate bird species—his private passion was investigating "hidden" animals in the remote cloud forests and jungles of Peru.
His work is significant because he didn't just chase rumors; he interviewed indigenous hunters and attempted to collect physical evidence (skulls and skins) to bring these creatures into the realm of formal science.
1. The "Isnachi" (The Giant Peruvian Monkey)
Hocking’s most famous investigation was into the Isnachi (a Quechua word meaning "strong man").
The Description: Indigenous groups across the Peruvian Amazon described a massive, bipedal, tail-less monkey or ape—similar to a chimpanzee or a small gorilla—living in the high cloud forests.
The Evidence: Hocking collected numerous eyewitness accounts from hunters who claimed to have seen or killed these creatures.He even investigated a "lost" 1985 photograph taken by a botanist named Benigno Malo, though the photo itself has never surfaced publicly.
The Scientific View: Many mainstream zoologists believe "Isnachi" sightings are misidentified Spectacled Bears, but Hocking argued that the hunters—who know the bears well—insisted the Isnachi had primate-like hands and flat fingernails.
2. Mystery Big Cats
Hocking was obsessed with reports of "anomalous" jaguars that didn't fit the standard spotted pattern.
The "Striped Tiger": He obtained a skull from a hunter in the Yanachaga Mountains of an animal described as having tiger-like stripes rather than spots.
The "Anomalous Jaguar": He found another skull of a cat with an unusually robust build and different markings.
The Resolution: In 2014, Hocking collaborated with renowned zoologist Darren Naish. Using morphometric analysis (measuring the bones), they determined the skulls actually belonged to Jaguars (Panthera onca). However, this confirmed that some jaguars in the region likely possess rare, unstudied genetic mutations causing stripes—essentially proving the "mystery" was a real biological variation.
3. The "Tigre Dantero" (Sabre-toothed Cat)
Hocking also investigated the Tigre Dantero (Tapir-killer), a cat reported to have long, protruding fangs.
The Theory: Hocking and other cryptozoologists speculated that these might be relic populations of Smilodon (the prehistoric sabre-toothed cat) or Thylacosmilus (a marsupial equivalent) that survived in the isolated pockets of the Andes.
Hocking’s Legacy
Peter Hocking passed away in late 2022. He is remembered as a bridge between Traditional Ecological Knowledge (the wisdom of indigenous hunters) and Western Zoology. Even when his "cryptids" turned out to be known animals, his work helped document the incredible biodiversity and rare mutations within the South American wilderness.
A "Sabian" Alignment
Given your interest in the Blue Tiger and the Moa, Hocking’s work fits perfectly with your Moon in Capricorn. Capricorn energy loves the "old, rugged, and enduring." Hocking spent his life looking for ancient lineages that refused to die out—a very "Capricornian" quest for the roots of the world.
Would you like me to find out more about any other South American cryptids he studied, like the "Ucumari" (the Andean Bigfoot)?
Yes, please. Also: didn´t Hocking study cryptid birds, too?
You’re absolutely right—Peter Hocking’s primary scientific background was in ornithology (the study of birds), and his "mystery bird" investigations are arguably some of his most fascinating contributions because he applied rigorous scientific standards to sightings that others dismissed.
1. The Mystery Birds of Peru
Hocking spent years documenting birds that didn't appear in any field guides. Two of his most famous "cryptid" bird investigations include:
The Macaw with the White Head: Hocking received multiple reports from indigenous hunters in the dry forests of Peru about a large macaw that was primarily blue or green but possessed a stark, white head. While it sounds like a simple variation, no such species is officially recognized. Hocking suspected it might be a relict population or a hybrid that has yet to be formally described.
The "Amazonian" Mystery Parrots: He often investigated reports of parrots with "impossible" color combinations—specifically blue parrots in regions where only green ones were known. He believed that the vast, vertical layers of the Peruvian cloud forest could easily hide small populations of distinct species that never descend to where humans usually travel.
2. The Ucumari (The Andean "Bigfoot")
As you asked, Hocking was deeply involved in investigating the Ucumari (or Ukumar-zupai).
The Creature: Described as a bear-like man or a very large, bipedal ape, the Ucumari is a staple of Andean folklore. Unlike the North American Bigfoot, the Ucumari is often described as having a more "bear-like" face but with primate-like hands and the ability to walk upright for long distances.
Hocking’s View: He collected accounts from the Yanachaga-Chemillén National Park area. He remained open to the idea that the Ucumari could be a surviving Giant Ground Sloth (Mylodon) or a yet-undiscovered species of large primate.
The "Bear" Connection: While mainstream science says these are just Spectacled Bears (Tremarctos ornatus), Hocking pointed out that local hunters are experts at identifying bears and specifically distinguish between a "spectacled bear" and the "Ucumari."
A recent study shows that bonobos are just as aggressive as common chimpanzees. Another Boomer hippie myth laid to rest?
Nah, not so fast.
First, bonobos are apparently better at making peace than their chimp cousins. Second, there is more variation in bonobo aggression levels (at least in zoos) than among chimps. (That is, aggression levels within different groups.)
Third - and this is surely the ideological clincher - bonobo females are just as likely to pick a fight as bonobo males, while males are more aggressive among chimpanzees. Indeed, bonobo females often attack ditto males. This has even been observed in the wild. In the Congo, five female bonobos were recently observed viciously attacking a single male!
So apparently the pygmy chimpanzee isn´t a peacenik hippie with a penchant for group sex. It´s an AMAZON APE with flocks ruled by FEMALE COALITIONS. That´s the real take away from this research.
OK, the dog-fox hybrids are strange. Sure of that one? And why would conservationists "condemn" big cat hybrids? I mean, I assumed everyone loves ligers! Note also that polar bears are moving further south and hybridize with grizzlies as they go along. Are these hybrids fertile? If so, it seems the polar bear doesn´t need "saving", after all. Life will find a way. Finally, what´s up with those strange fish accidentally "created" by some crazy scientists in Hungary (I mean, where else)?
