K. 'platyops' not only had a much flatter face than Lucy, she also had smaller teeth. From teeth, scientists conclude that it probably ate fruits, berries and small insects while A. 'afarensis' consumed tougher vegetation like roots and grasses. {The skull appears to have teeth as we do. This description of things bears little fruit of nature of our ancestors or how they felt, thought and developed things that really count. It would fit very nicely with 'cave man' fiction and our 'gradually evolved' species though. Thus you can rest secure in knowledge that YOU and especially European (you) are highest form of life ever found on face of this planet.} 'They were unlikely to compete,' says team member Fred Spoor of University College London. 'Two species don't usually occupy same ecological niche.'

Old flat-face could displace A. 'afarensis' as a direct link in human lineage. Or it may be a part of a branch leading to 'Homo rudolfensis', a species with a strikingly similar face that lived in East Africa between 2.4 and 1.8 million years ago. 'You find something beautiful and new, but conclusion is you actually know less,' says Spoor. 'But we are getting there.' - with reporting by Andrea Dorfman/New York.” (1)

When all things are considered they are being disingenuous. Spoor or others do know that afarensis lineage is not related to us. As to existence of super robustus australopithecines in time, they don't mention that because probability of 'occupying same ecological niche' increases likelihood that humans and hominids banded together and formed protection groups against these larger foe with ability like their own. That is a possibility I think leads to social and cultural development that would push meaningful aspects of human life back a great deal further. The spiritual and communicational possibilities of commerce and ritual as well as dance and herbalism, expand as people form larger units. It is likely that sexual relations between different hominids occurred and made mutational potentials to generate genetic streams of over a hundred different types in Africa. To focus on Africa forgets Siberia (Diring entry) and Mungo Man. It loses sight of Gondwana where genetic material that became all these hominids formed before split to South America, Australia etc. This leads to many different places on earth developing hominids. Yes, there is much to learn; but if we don't consider all facts we will keep our heads in a very dark place that doctors might have to use surgical tools like obsidian (as fine as any today) to remove. They have recently found an ape which researchers think is a cross between a gorilla and a chimpanzee. It is still living in some numbers and I look forward to geneticists telling us what cannot be done while their colleagues say otherwise – some more. And those geneticists did so after I wrote much of this book. They found up to 1.8 million years ago that pubic lice which are only on humans diverged in North America.

It is very important to understand context when you talk about drought.

Agricultural drought is more common and its visual affects are clearer than hydrologic drought. It is easier to see parched soil, dry stock dams and withered plants than peer down into limestone aquifers. We identify with agricultural drought because it dries up our lawns and forces livestock producers to buy hay because pasture grass will not grow. We become aware of hydrologic drought when wells cannot keep up with demand and springs dry up.

I still think that West River plains will see significant improvement this year. The higher elevations of Black Hills, eastern Wyoming and eastern Montana are a different story because they still very dry.

The dry condition of Black Hills is even more troublesome because a lot of rain and snow received at high elevations is used to recharges aquifers. Therefore, drought in Black Hills has a far-reaching impact.

I am devoting month of April to exploring impact of drought on you and me. I will dispel myths about how long it takes to recover from drought and suggest ways you can help minimize impact of drought. I will also take bull by horns and answer that burning question: Is there ever enough rain?