Dirk Jan Willem Meijers

MSc Biology & Oceanography
Projectmanager General Sciences Zuyderzee College (retired)
Member of International Society for Biosemiotic Studies.
Cartoonist
NL 8303 AH 8 Emmeloord, Netherlands
email: meijers@shoreline-man.name

Abstract

In 1960 Sir Alister Hardy posed the question "Was Man more aquatic in the past?"
To honour Hardy this paper discusses swimming and diving skills of human babies as possible leftovers of a littoral past in human ancestral evolution.
It might be related to an ethological sensible period activating innate reflexes linked to aquatic behaviour early in life.
To my knowledge, the aquatic development of human babies and toddlers has not been reported in ethological sense before in literature.
A few examples of ‘aquatic behaviour’ in human infants were already mentioned a few centuries ago.
After introduction of baby swimming courses and water deliveries in many countries, this behaviour received a lot more attention.
In 1937, Myrtle McGraw described connected swimming behaviour. Since then always turned out that repeated exposure to water inborn reflexes lead during a sensible period to 'waterproof' babies.
These aquatic reflexes and behaviours are functional before babies and toddlers are able to walk. From early childhood to maturity all Homo sapiens can swim and dive. It contradicts the common idea that human ancestors left forests for open plain and evolved into long distance bipedal walkers and runners.
Perhaps it is possible that aquatic properties of newborn babies and toddlers are neotenic and paedomorphic in humans, a heritage of our ancestors.

Key words
Alister Hardy, Homo sapiens; evolution; ancestors; littoral; semi-aquatic; adaptation; ethology; imprinting; sensible period; newborns; history; babies; toddlers; baby swimming; aquatic reflexes; water babies; imprinting; water birth; neoteny; paedomorphosis.

Introduction

After introduction of baby swimming courses worldwide tt became clear that few first months after birth, human babies and toddlers easy learn to dive, swim and float based on a set of innate reflexes.

In ethology and neuropsychology are several adaptive time frames defined as 'critical' or 'sensitive' periods for imprinting.

These innate processes were first described in birds and later also in mammals, including our own species Homo sapiens.

In human babies they encompass diving, breathing control, early swimming movements, and back-floating. In all later developmental stages – up to adult humans – swimming, diving, playing in and near water is natural behaviour.

I suggest the following hypothesis:

By displaying naturally diving, floating and swimming human babies and toddlers proof being able to adapt to water the few first months after birth. This is imprinted in a sensitive period that activates an innate set of reflexes.

This article is based on information of numerous baby swimming courses: training sessions, correspondence, extensive available literature, photographs and film footatge. A set of supplements is available, contact:  info@shoreline-man.name

Added information