Urheimat in Lithuania? (was Re: the Wheel and Dating PIE or NW-IE)

[petegray]

Robert posted a long email about Lithuanian, non-innovation, and the
Ur-heimat, and I do not wish to question any of his conclusions.   There is,
however, a small point of logic, ultimately quite trivial.   Anyone with
sense will read no further, and if I had any, I wouldn't make this quibble.

He said:
> Now someone is going to say that it's against the law of averages
> for Lithuanian to have always been on the non-innovating branch.
> And of course it is.  But the point is that *something* has to
> be; if not Lithuanian, then something else.

At each node, on that model, there will be a non-innovating branch, but it
is not necessary that it is always one and the same branch which does not
innovate.   Hence the significance of the surprising fact that Lithuanian
has at each node been the non-innovator.    This allows us to conclude what
you so poignantly express in your last comment - it's a long way away from
anywhere.

Peter