Evolution

Contrary to what many of us would predict most female animals are not monogamous. Not even swans or penguins, those (supposedly) hallmarks of monogamy. Also surprising is the evidence that in most cases the female deliberately looks for the multiple sexual partners since female multiple mating (known as polyandry) is costly, risky and seems to bring no benefits to the females involved. But two elegant studies in guppies by Miguel Barbosa and colleagues from the Gatty Marine Laboratory, at the University of St Andrews, Scotland are finally shedding light on the mystery by showing that the…

In reviewing this article, I couldn't help but notice the problems in how this information was reported, so that it became quite apparent why the general public perpetually misunderstands or misinterprets evolution. "Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that Coal Forest fragmentation influenced profoundly the ecology and evolution of terrestrial fauna in tropical Euramerica, and illustrate the tight coupling that existed between vegetation, climate, and trophic webs." (Abstract) "Specifically we test the hypothesis that population constriction into isolated rainforest islands exerted…

Progressing from crude stone tools to elegant hand axes was a technological leap, but that required the slow, complex process of evolution, says a new study that seeks to explain why it took almost two million years to move from razor-sharp stones to a hand-held stone axe. Researchers have had different theories about why it took early humans more than 2 million years to develop stone axes. Some have suggested that early humans may have had underdeveloped motor skills or abilities, while others have suggested that it took human brains this time to develop more complex thoughts, in order…

Will Wright’s demo of Spore illustrates some key concepts of complex systems, including the notion of simple rules generating complex behaviors, and also the power of recursively applied (i.e. fractal) computation at different levels.  Living systems leverage these same principles. One of the baffling aspects of living systems is the relationship of the (relatively small) genome to the seemingly infinite variation and complexity that we witness within and between species.  The idea that we share 99% or so of our DNA with mice means that our differences must somehow be…

Michael White made a comment in response to a poorly explained point I made about behaviours in the original version of Twelve Misunderstandings of Evolution, but in his haste to present his own take on the issue he added this: “The reason tigers hunt alone and lions hunt in packs is genetic. Anyone who doubts that should propose what kind of environmental change would make tigers, as they are now genetically, hunt in packs.” I think it’s safe to assume that most readers would find nothing to criticize in that statement. The influence of the gene-centric view of evolution and of life has been…

Gradual evolution is not supported by geological history, writes New York University geologist Michael Rampino, who prefers the hypothesis that long periods of evolutionary stability were disrupted by catastrophic mass extinctions of life.  Not surprisingly, he studies volcano eruptions and asteroid impacts. When Charles Darwin published his "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection" he explicitly rejected the role of catastrophic change in natural selection: "The old notion of all the inhabitants of the Earth having been swept away by catastrophes at successive…

1950s horror movies were primarily irradiated monsters but they also contained a bit of a cultural slam - the heroes were often scientists but they were battling other scientists who were often not even evil, just in love with their data.    Science was the problem because it did not concern itself with ethics, was the mentality - it was even more confusing than that good Jedi versus bad Jedi stuff (really, since the 'Dark Side' had more power and was much easier and mostly meant taking orders from some old guy and not much actual evil, why wouldn't anyone choose the so-called Dark…

Pt Jawaharlal Nehru wrote famous book Discovery of India. It depicted unity in diversity. Now if you apply the same to the world of plants and call it discovery of biodiversity , the unity in diversity is more than evident. The global earth is the only place for mankind to live. Drinking water is limited and so is the earth’s area of arable land, river systems, hills roads, railway lines, pastures, and industrial production , mineral resources and all things that are present on the earth are limited. Population growth is unlimited. Imbalance in population growth in different parts of the…

East and West have developed in different manner. Societies evolved into countries on the global earth not so long ago taking into account history of earth . Man in last 5000 years has evolved What region has to do on development? Nature of vegetation is different, climate is different and so are the attitudes of east and west. High temperatures provide increased levels of some hormones regulating reproductive system so there is more reproductive activity in tropical lands as compared to temperate lands. However what could be the reasons of keeping traditions intact? There was a tradition…

Most of the films in Bollywood show the boy or girl rich or poor hating each other or their parents fighting each other. My foreign Professor once asked me after seeing a movie ( I took great pains to explain him the story of Bobby in the cinema hall itself : a story of rich parents preventing their boy from marrying a poor girl ) that parents here have one job to find a match for the girl which she does not like or a boy does not like his bride to be searched by the parents. They want to marry a girl or boy of their own choice. Khandan ki izzat (Honour of the family) has to be given top…