First of all, I wasn't sure where to place this article but please, move it if need it. Secondly, as far as I gather this forum is critical of the Theory of Evolution. Although this hypothesis is not contradicting the theory, it proposes a different middle kind of way. Finally, apologies if it has already been discussed. I searched but I didn't find something concrete, apart from Japod briefly mentioning it.
HUMAN ORIGINS: ARE WE HYBRIDS?
Always remember, a cat looks down on man, a dog looks up to man, but a pig will look man right in the eye and see his equal.
Winston Churchill.
The gatekeepers at the castle of truth, otherwise known as “The Controllers”, always give us a bit of the truth but never the whole truth. This especially applies for the theory of Evolution and The Origin of Man.
There are a number of non-mainstream hypothesis of the human origins and one of them is the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis (AHH). It was proposed by Alister Hardy (a marine biologist). It states that a branch of apes was forced by competition over terrestrial habitats to hunt for food such as shellfish on the sea shore and sea bed leading to adaptations that explained distinctive characteristics of modern humans such as functional hairlessness and bipedalism.
The mainstream hypothesis is that chimpanzees are humans' closest living evolutionary relatives, a theory backed by genetic evidence and visual similarities, which are obvious. One of the evidence in support of the Great Apes Theory (GAT) is that the great apes and humans have the same blood types: A, B, AB and O. The Rhesus factor isn't limited to humans, either. So in theory, chimpanzees and gorillas could donate blood to humans and vice versa - provided they have the same blood type. In reality though, blood donations are unlikely as our bloods differ in too many details that still need to be investigated.
Despite genetic similarities though, there are a massive number of divergent anatomical characteristics distinguishing humans from apes. How did those characteristics developed and why?
What if we have actually begun as hybrids?
According to Dr Eugene McCarthy, an American geneticist and one of the world's leading authorities on hybridisation in animals, the human species began as the hybrid offspring of a male pig and a female chimpanzee [1].
He points out that while humans have many features in common with chimps, we also have a large number of distinguishing characteristics not found in any other primates. Dr McCarthy points out that that is merely a hypothesis, but he presents compelling evidence to support it.
One common characteristic of animal hybrids is the relative infertility. But contrary to the common belief, according to McCarthy not all hybrids are completely sterile (like the mule) and in some hybrids the animals are able to breed with mates of the same species of either parent.
Humans have a relatively low fertility compared to other mammals, which is an indication of being a hybrid. It has been well known for decades that human sperm is abnormal in comparison with that of the typical mammal. Human spermatozoa are not of one uniform and a high percentage of human spermatozoa are actually dysfunctional.
We learn that the birth of the human species did not occur from just one crossing. The first pig-chimp creature was probably followed by several generations of 'backcrossing', where the offspring of that pairing lived among chimps and mated with them - becoming more like chimps and less like pigs with every new generation. After several generations the hybrid strain would have become fertile enough to breed amongst themselves.
Human traits not seen in other primates but seen in pigs.
I’ll shorten the long list but you can find it in McCarthy’s blog [1]:
What do we have in common with pigs?
Do pigs have any of these characteristics above?
They have heavy eyelashes, protrusive, cartilaginous nose, a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, short digits, and a naked skin. They are an intelligent animals, terrestrial, not arboreal (climbing and walking on trees), and adaptable to a wide range of foods and environments.
In fact, pigs have every one of the many traits listed. Ask yourself: Is it likely that an animal unrelated to humans would possess so many of the “human” characteristics that distinguish us from primates?
Pig skin tissues and heart valves are used in medicine because of their similarity and compatibility with the human body. Pigs are being used as incubators for growing human organs for transplants. Researchers from University of California, Davis, have successfully injected human stem cells into pig embryos to produce human-pig embryos, known as chimeras that can potentially grow into creatures that contain human organs, reports the BBC [2]. Why not goats, dogs, or bears — animals that, in terms of taxonomic classification, are no more distantly related to human beings than pigs?
Pigs are omnivore and we are omnivore. Some pigs have blue eyes, some brown like humans. I will speculate that white people have more of the domesticated pig genes in us as our skin is pinkie and many have blue eyes.
Our cross-species hybrid nature could explain why we can adapt to different climates and yet our bodies are never fully integrated into the environment, which is the reason why we have to store food and obtaining it is very hard work.
Pigs Intelligence
Our hybrid nature could explain our intelligence and the consequent elaborate religious beliefs trying to find out our true origin. Perhaps, our mixed up nature prompted us to be more innovative in order to survive. Maybe, the answer is in both of our possible ancestors – the chimp and the pig.
Most people are familiar with the intelligence of chimpanzees but the main historical reason that pig’s intelligence has only recently been recognised, is due to the fact that pork meat has formed an important part in diets for centuries. One can somewhat describe it as a method of denial, as our society would usually not consume an animal which we consider to have a level of intelligence, based on ethics. Example of some of these animals include, dogs and dolphins.
In fact, pigs are among the most intelligent animals [3] – together with elephants, ravens, cows and octopuses. They are cognitively complex, capable of naturally socializing, learning and even deceiving.
Pigs know what a mirror is and how it works, using it as a tool to grab food and distract their peers. It is a sign of complex cognitive processing and an indication of a certain level of awareness. [7]
Pigs also love video games [8] and are very protective of children. Mother pigs raised in sanctuary remain with their children for their lifetime and continue the same maternal care even when their adult offspring have grown up. [9]
If you ever have a pig as a pet you would find that they are in fact very clean. If given the opportunity, pigs would choose to not defecate where they eat and sleep. The popular misconception of the uncleanliness of the pig is consequence of captive breeding conditions and does not represent the natural behaviour and/or intelligence of pigs in any way.
Dr McCarthy says:
My opinion of this animal has much improved during the course of my research. Where once I thought of filth and greed, I now think of intelligence, affection, loyalty, and adaptability, with an added touch of joyous sensuality — qualities without which humans would not be human.
Yes, but can they swim like us?
In places like Nassau or The Exumas in the Bahamas one of the popular tourist attraction are the swimming pigs. [4]
In comparison, unlike humans and pigs, apes can't swim properly as they have very little body fat. They sink straight to the bottom of pools and can even walk across the bottom while submerged underwater.
Cultural references
For a very long time, humans have been tweaking with animal hybrids and we seem quite obsessed with. Especially dogs/cats and cattle crossbreeding are hugely popular. Recently, they have started playing extensively with human-animal breeds - 150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years. Link
Pigs characters are very popular in children’s stories (The Three Little Pigs and Peppa Pig, for exmple) and there are a lot of literature with human-animal hybrids as the main plot. For example, in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel Heart of a Dog (1925) a Moscow surgeon Dr. Preobrazhensky transplants human organs into the body of homeless dog. As a result, the animal transforms into the man, Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov. In the end of the novel Preobrazhensky undergoes another operation to return him to the dog's state.
H.G. Wells, a well know insider and author, imagined a place in his science fiction novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau” where human-animal hybrids were developed via V-section. Some of “the beasts” created are swine-man and swine-woman.
No wonder so many cultures forbid the eating of pigs as if this hypothesis is true it would mean cannibalism. Pork consumption is highest among countries of European cultural origin and South East Asia. Maybe we can draw some conclusions about these cultures.
The Critics
As you can imagine this hypothesis would be a hard one to swallow for the mainstream. The main counter-argument is that pigs and chimps, according to evolutionary theory, diverged roughly 80 million years ago so there is a little chance they can mate. Also, chimps have 48 chromosomes, pigs have just 38.
According to McCarthy While differences in chromosomes of this sort do bode ill for the fertility of the resulting progeny, but it is only a rule of thumb. He gives more explanations in his blog [1].
Another argument is that successful animal hybrids, do not occur in a state of nature and that that only plants hybridize, and never animals. But McCarthy has 4,000 different types of hybrid crosses listed in his book on hybridization in birds and approximately half are known to occur in a natural setting. His current research indicates a comparable rate for mammals.
Hybrid can be detected by nucleotide sequence data but the further we go back in time the more difficult it becomes for any true remote descendant of backcross hybrids produced in ancient time, which is what human may actually be. McCarthy suggests, the most revealing data is of an anatomical and/or physiological nature. And this is exactly the kind of hybrid that humans seem to be, that is, it appears that humans are the result of multiple generations of backcrossing to the chimpanzee.
In Conclusion
We cannot ignore the fact that McCarthy’s hypothesis could explain a range of different phenomena including those that Darwinian evolution alone has difficulty explaining.
Dr McCarthy himself writes:
I must admit that I initially felt a certain amount of repugnance at the idea of being a hybrid. The image of a pig mating with an ape is not a pretty one, nor is that of a horde of monstrous half-humans breeding in a hybrid swarm.
But the way we came to be is not so important as the fact that we now exist. As every Machiavellian knows, good things can emerge from ugly processes, and I think the human race is a very good thing. Moreover, there is something to be said for the idea of having the pig as a relative.
Also:
The general examination of the process of evolution as a whole strongly suggests that most forms of life are of hybrid origin. Why should humans be any different?
I personally am also shocked by this hypothesis as anyone who discovers it now would be too. Is it possible that we have been given only a half-truth about the nature of human origins? Is it possible for a pig to hybridize with a chimpanzee? I have no way of knowing or rejecting that idea so I will leave it for you to decide for yourself.
Thomas Mann (1955, p. 271),wrote:
The pig with its little blue eyes, its eyelashes and its skin has more human qualities than any chimpanzee — think how often naked human beings remind us of swine.
Why Your Uncle Is A Boar
This ancestral shake-up is big
Not just apes can lay claim to that gig
I just figured out
Where I got my big snout
Turns out great-granddad was a pig!
References
HUMAN ORIGINS: ARE WE HYBRIDS?
Always remember, a cat looks down on man, a dog looks up to man, but a pig will look man right in the eye and see his equal.
Winston Churchill.
The gatekeepers at the castle of truth, otherwise known as “The Controllers”, always give us a bit of the truth but never the whole truth. This especially applies for the theory of Evolution and The Origin of Man.
There are a number of non-mainstream hypothesis of the human origins and one of them is the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis (AHH). It was proposed by Alister Hardy (a marine biologist). It states that a branch of apes was forced by competition over terrestrial habitats to hunt for food such as shellfish on the sea shore and sea bed leading to adaptations that explained distinctive characteristics of modern humans such as functional hairlessness and bipedalism.
The mainstream hypothesis is that chimpanzees are humans' closest living evolutionary relatives, a theory backed by genetic evidence and visual similarities, which are obvious. One of the evidence in support of the Great Apes Theory (GAT) is that the great apes and humans have the same blood types: A, B, AB and O. The Rhesus factor isn't limited to humans, either. So in theory, chimpanzees and gorillas could donate blood to humans and vice versa - provided they have the same blood type. In reality though, blood donations are unlikely as our bloods differ in too many details that still need to be investigated.
Despite genetic similarities though, there are a massive number of divergent anatomical characteristics distinguishing humans from apes. How did those characteristics developed and why?
What if we have actually begun as hybrids?
According to Dr Eugene McCarthy, an American geneticist and one of the world's leading authorities on hybridisation in animals, the human species began as the hybrid offspring of a male pig and a female chimpanzee [1].
He points out that while humans have many features in common with chimps, we also have a large number of distinguishing characteristics not found in any other primates. Dr McCarthy points out that that is merely a hypothesis, but he presents compelling evidence to support it.
One common characteristic of animal hybrids is the relative infertility. But contrary to the common belief, according to McCarthy not all hybrids are completely sterile (like the mule) and in some hybrids the animals are able to breed with mates of the same species of either parent.
Humans have a relatively low fertility compared to other mammals, which is an indication of being a hybrid. It has been well known for decades that human sperm is abnormal in comparison with that of the typical mammal. Human spermatozoa are not of one uniform and a high percentage of human spermatozoa are actually dysfunctional.
We learn that the birth of the human species did not occur from just one crossing. The first pig-chimp creature was probably followed by several generations of 'backcrossing', where the offspring of that pairing lived among chimps and mated with them - becoming more like chimps and less like pigs with every new generation. After several generations the hybrid strain would have become fertile enough to breed amongst themselves.
Human traits not seen in other primates but seen in pigs.
I’ll shorten the long list but you can find it in McCarthy’s blog [1]:
| DERMAL FEATURES Naked skin Layer of subcutaneous fat Large content of elastic fiber in skin Thermoregulatory sweating Epidermal lipids contain triglycerides and free fatty acids | FACIAL FEATURES Lightly pigmented eyes common Protruding, cartilaginous nose Narrow eye opening Short, thick upper lip Cleft lip Eyebrows Heavy eyelashes Earlobes |
| CRANIAL FEATURES Brain lobes: frontal and temporal prominent Thermoregulatory venous plexuses Well-developed system of emissary veins Enlarged nasal bones Divergent eyes (interior of orbit visible from side) Large, blunt-cusped (bunodont) molars Thick tooth enamel Helical chewing | OTHER TRAITS Nocturnal activity Particular about place of defecation Good swimmer, no fear of water Extended male copulation time Female orgasm Short menstrual cycle Snuggling Tears Alcoholism Able to exploit a wide range of environments and foods Heart attack Atherosclerosis Cancer (melanoma) |
| FEATURES RELATING TO BIPEDALITY Short, dorsal spines on first six cervical vertebra Fewer floating and more non-floating ribs More lumbar vertebrae Fewer sacral vertebrae Centralized spine Massive gluteal muscles Hind limbs longer than forelimbs Talus suited strictly for extension and flexion of the foot Narrow pelvic outlet | ORGANS Diverticulum at cardiac end of stomach Valves of Kerckring Mesenteric arterial arcades Multipyramidal kidneys Heart auricles level Nipples low on chest |
What do we have in common with pigs?
Do pigs have any of these characteristics above?
They have heavy eyelashes, protrusive, cartilaginous nose, a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, short digits, and a naked skin. They are an intelligent animals, terrestrial, not arboreal (climbing and walking on trees), and adaptable to a wide range of foods and environments.
In fact, pigs have every one of the many traits listed. Ask yourself: Is it likely that an animal unrelated to humans would possess so many of the “human” characteristics that distinguish us from primates?
Pig skin tissues and heart valves are used in medicine because of their similarity and compatibility with the human body. Pigs are being used as incubators for growing human organs for transplants. Researchers from University of California, Davis, have successfully injected human stem cells into pig embryos to produce human-pig embryos, known as chimeras that can potentially grow into creatures that contain human organs, reports the BBC [2]. Why not goats, dogs, or bears — animals that, in terms of taxonomic classification, are no more distantly related to human beings than pigs?
Pigs are omnivore and we are omnivore. Some pigs have blue eyes, some brown like humans. I will speculate that white people have more of the domesticated pig genes in us as our skin is pinkie and many have blue eyes.
Our cross-species hybrid nature could explain why we can adapt to different climates and yet our bodies are never fully integrated into the environment, which is the reason why we have to store food and obtaining it is very hard work.
Pigs Intelligence
Our hybrid nature could explain our intelligence and the consequent elaborate religious beliefs trying to find out our true origin. Perhaps, our mixed up nature prompted us to be more innovative in order to survive. Maybe, the answer is in both of our possible ancestors – the chimp and the pig.
Most people are familiar with the intelligence of chimpanzees but the main historical reason that pig’s intelligence has only recently been recognised, is due to the fact that pork meat has formed an important part in diets for centuries. One can somewhat describe it as a method of denial, as our society would usually not consume an animal which we consider to have a level of intelligence, based on ethics. Example of some of these animals include, dogs and dolphins.
In fact, pigs are among the most intelligent animals [3] – together with elephants, ravens, cows and octopuses. They are cognitively complex, capable of naturally socializing, learning and even deceiving.
Pigs know what a mirror is and how it works, using it as a tool to grab food and distract their peers. It is a sign of complex cognitive processing and an indication of a certain level of awareness. [7]
Pigs also love video games [8] and are very protective of children. Mother pigs raised in sanctuary remain with their children for their lifetime and continue the same maternal care even when their adult offspring have grown up. [9]
If you ever have a pig as a pet you would find that they are in fact very clean. If given the opportunity, pigs would choose to not defecate where they eat and sleep. The popular misconception of the uncleanliness of the pig is consequence of captive breeding conditions and does not represent the natural behaviour and/or intelligence of pigs in any way.
Dr McCarthy says:
My opinion of this animal has much improved during the course of my research. Where once I thought of filth and greed, I now think of intelligence, affection, loyalty, and adaptability, with an added touch of joyous sensuality — qualities without which humans would not be human.
Yes, but can they swim like us?
In places like Nassau or The Exumas in the Bahamas one of the popular tourist attraction are the swimming pigs. [4]
In comparison, unlike humans and pigs, apes can't swim properly as they have very little body fat. They sink straight to the bottom of pools and can even walk across the bottom while submerged underwater.
Cultural references
For a very long time, humans have been tweaking with animal hybrids and we seem quite obsessed with. Especially dogs/cats and cattle crossbreeding are hugely popular. Recently, they have started playing extensively with human-animal breeds - 150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years. Link
Pigs characters are very popular in children’s stories (The Three Little Pigs and Peppa Pig, for exmple) and there are a lot of literature with human-animal hybrids as the main plot. For example, in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel Heart of a Dog (1925) a Moscow surgeon Dr. Preobrazhensky transplants human organs into the body of homeless dog. As a result, the animal transforms into the man, Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov. In the end of the novel Preobrazhensky undergoes another operation to return him to the dog's state.
H.G. Wells, a well know insider and author, imagined a place in his science fiction novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau” where human-animal hybrids were developed via V-section. Some of “the beasts” created are swine-man and swine-woman.
No wonder so many cultures forbid the eating of pigs as if this hypothesis is true it would mean cannibalism. Pork consumption is highest among countries of European cultural origin and South East Asia. Maybe we can draw some conclusions about these cultures.
The Critics
As you can imagine this hypothesis would be a hard one to swallow for the mainstream. The main counter-argument is that pigs and chimps, according to evolutionary theory, diverged roughly 80 million years ago so there is a little chance they can mate. Also, chimps have 48 chromosomes, pigs have just 38.
According to McCarthy While differences in chromosomes of this sort do bode ill for the fertility of the resulting progeny, but it is only a rule of thumb. He gives more explanations in his blog [1].
Another argument is that successful animal hybrids, do not occur in a state of nature and that that only plants hybridize, and never animals. But McCarthy has 4,000 different types of hybrid crosses listed in his book on hybridization in birds and approximately half are known to occur in a natural setting. His current research indicates a comparable rate for mammals.
Hybrid can be detected by nucleotide sequence data but the further we go back in time the more difficult it becomes for any true remote descendant of backcross hybrids produced in ancient time, which is what human may actually be. McCarthy suggests, the most revealing data is of an anatomical and/or physiological nature. And this is exactly the kind of hybrid that humans seem to be, that is, it appears that humans are the result of multiple generations of backcrossing to the chimpanzee.
In Conclusion
We cannot ignore the fact that McCarthy’s hypothesis could explain a range of different phenomena including those that Darwinian evolution alone has difficulty explaining.
Dr McCarthy himself writes:
I must admit that I initially felt a certain amount of repugnance at the idea of being a hybrid. The image of a pig mating with an ape is not a pretty one, nor is that of a horde of monstrous half-humans breeding in a hybrid swarm.
But the way we came to be is not so important as the fact that we now exist. As every Machiavellian knows, good things can emerge from ugly processes, and I think the human race is a very good thing. Moreover, there is something to be said for the idea of having the pig as a relative.
Also:
The general examination of the process of evolution as a whole strongly suggests that most forms of life are of hybrid origin. Why should humans be any different?
I personally am also shocked by this hypothesis as anyone who discovers it now would be too. Is it possible that we have been given only a half-truth about the nature of human origins? Is it possible for a pig to hybridize with a chimpanzee? I have no way of knowing or rejecting that idea so I will leave it for you to decide for yourself.
Thomas Mann (1955, p. 271),wrote:
The pig with its little blue eyes, its eyelashes and its skin has more human qualities than any chimpanzee — think how often naked human beings remind us of swine.
Why Your Uncle Is A Boar
This ancestral shake-up is big
Not just apes can lay claim to that gig
I just figured out
Where I got my big snout
Turns out great-granddad was a pig!
References
- Human origins: Are we hybrids?
Eugene M. McCarthy, PhD Genetics
The Hybrid Hypothesis: Introduction - US bid to grow human organs for transplant inside pigs
Fergus Walsh
Bid to grow transplant organs in pigs - How Intelligent Are Pigs?
By Ameera Mills. August 13, 2018
How Intelligent Are Pigs? - Let’s Find Out! - The swimming pigs of Bahamas
- How Long Can A Piglet Hold Its Breath?
Erika Schagatay, Swedish professor of environmental physiology
How Long Can a Piglet Hold its Breath? | Freedive Earth - Humans evolved after a female chimpanzee mated with a pig': Extraordinary claim made by American geneticist
By Damien Gayle - Pigs Use Mirrors to Find Hidden Food
https://www.wired.com/2009/10/pigs-and-mirrors/ - Cute pigs playing video games
- Pigs Will Do Anything For Their Babies
6 Farm Animal Moms Who Will Do Anything For Their Babies
