On 26.11.2023. 21:01, JTEM is so reasonable wrote:
>
> Sex.
>
> If they could interbreed, they did.
>
> No getting around this.
>
> Granted, two populations could have been totally
> compatible but, being separated by great
> distance or geographic barriers, they could have
> been prevented from interbreeding.
>
> Habilis was quite small. Being impregnated with
> the baby of a significantly larger Homo, with one
> presumes to be "Larger Homo" genes, could out
> right kill them.
>
> Think of a chihuahua. The dog. If you impregnated
> it with the puppies of a great dane, it's likely that
> one or more will grow so big as to kill the mother
> before they're ever born.
>
> And of course two populations can grow so
> physically distinct that they are no longer capable
> of interbreeding.
>
> There's also cultural barriers.
>
> Like mating rituals, sure. Or cannibalism. Anything
> cultural -- non physical -- that prevents mating.
>
> But absent a reason for NOT mating, we always have
> to assume that any to populations of Homo (and pre
> Homo) interbred. They mixed.
>
> In practical terms? Let's say Lucy's population are
> descended from Aquatic Ape. We all share a common
> ancestor. Well, Lucy's ilk would have been
> interbreeding with Aquatic Ape groups, when they
> crossed paths, right up until something stopped them
> from mixing. There's no reason to assume that just
> because they became a distinct populations it means
> that interbreeding was impossible. Something had to
> stop it from happening.
>
> They had to be separated. Physically, like distance.
> Or culturally. Or biologically.

Hm, you had Homo, and you had Paranthropus. Paranthropus evolved from
Australopithecus. Homo erectus evolved from Homo habilis.
So, why are you confusing yourself. Do you even know the basics, for
god's sake?