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Seems dangerous to infer too much about the general behavior of entire species based on the observed behavior captured in two individuals at the moment they wer

Seems dangerous to infer too much about the general behavior of entire species based on the observed behavior captured in two individuals at the moment they were being entombed in the lava flow from a volcanic eruption. Like assuming that based on some skeletons found under a volcanic ash flow that the normal behavior of humans was running with your hands in the air and screaming really loudly.

Waterluvian 3y ago
This drives me mad about these sciences. They seemingly get captured by the PR need to sell a digestible narrative. I appreciate if they want to posit ideas, but so often there’s this tone of absoluteness to them. I wonder if part of it is just the desire to make one’s discipline more exciting.
- maxbond 3y ago
  You don't think that has more to do with science reporting?
  - inciampati 3y ago
    It is due to science reporting, which is in an eternal crisis. It can probably never catch up with the state of the arts.
riccardomc 3y ago
In this specific case the assumption is for the entire Mammalia class rather than just species
Tao3300 3y ago
It was a mud flow. It likely came on extremely fast while they were distracted by their life and death struggle, and not necessarily during a dramatic eruption. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar
- maxbond 3y ago
  Additionally, it's a pretty solid prior to assume that, when we find rapidly forming fossils like this, the behaviors they capture were common behaviors. Fossil formation is rare, so a fossil capturing a rare behavior is pretty darn unlikely. A behavior would have to be ellicted many, many times to have a likely chance of being preserved in a fossil. Surely they exist, and this could be one of them, but until we find evidence to the contrary our best guess should be that this was a common behavior.
steve_adams_86 3y ago
This single group of humans almost always assumed the fetal position. Fortunately we were able to get a glimpse of this because they were captured in a lava flow. We may never know why they did that.
- blueflow 3y ago
  Its the position you assume when in extreme pain.
  - edgyquant 3y ago
    That’s the joke
    - steve_adams_86 3y ago
      No, I think they could be onto something :)

Waterluvian 3y ago

This drives me mad about these sciences. They seemingly get captured by the PR need to sell a digestible narrative. I appreciate if they want to posit ideas, but so often there’s this tone of absoluteness to them. I wonder if part of it is just the desire to make one’s discipline more exciting.

maxbond 3y ago
You don't think that has more to do with science reporting?
- inciampati 3y ago
  It is due to science reporting, which is in an eternal crisis. It can probably never catch up with the state of the arts.

riccardomc 3y ago

In this specific case the assumption is for the entire Mammalia class rather than just species

Tao3300 3y ago

It was a mud flow. It likely came on extremely fast while they were distracted by their life and death struggle, and not necessarily during a dramatic eruption. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar

maxbond 3y ago
Additionally, it's a pretty solid prior to assume that, when we find rapidly forming fossils like this, the behaviors they capture were common behaviors. Fossil formation is rare, so a fossil capturing a rare behavior is pretty darn unlikely. A behavior would have to be ellicted many, many times to have a likely chance of being preserved in a fossil. Surely they exist, and this could be one of them, but until we find evidence to the contrary our best guess should be that this was a common behavior.

steve_adams_86 3y ago

This single group of humans almost always assumed the fetal position. Fortunately we were able to get a glimpse of this because they were captured in a lava flow. We may never know why they did that.

blueflow 3y ago
Its the position you assume when in extreme pain.
- edgyquant 3y ago
  That’s the joke
  - steve_adams_86 3y ago
    No, I think they could be onto something :)