> i wrote:
> >Correct me if i'm wrong, but there we're also no lions at the time of
> >Autralopethicus Afarensis.
>
> come to think of it, cheetas weren't around at the time of Australopithecus
> either. In fact i think most big cats only developed during the last two
> million years, the only other big cat who might have just been around near
> the end of 'Lucy's' period was saber tooth tiger (smilodon). All the others
> had to deal with homo habilis, well capable of defending himself with spears
> and tools. Add to that that the later varieties of Australopithecus probably
> had some primitive tools already. I think early Australopithecus had to deal
> with far fewer predators. I'm going to look it up, but i'm almost sure that
> the big cats didn't develop, until the homonids were well on their way.
I seem to remember reading that one of the sites where a lot of Lucy's kin
were found was originally a cave under a tree where the local leopards
dragged their kills. The skulls had puncture marks which fit the tooth
spacing of the leopards of that time. Keith Henson