Anthropology

Protected Area Network in India

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:14:49 +0530

Protected Area Network in India

madebyabvh: Animated Dobrosav Bob Živković #17Darwin VS...

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:51:34 +0530

madebyabvh:

Animated Dobrosav Bob Živković #17

Darwin VS God
(lousy quality)

Original illustration by Dobrosav Bob Živković

(via 2 million-year-old skeleton found in Cradle of...

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:39:00 +0530

(via 2 million-year-old skeleton found in Cradle of Humankind)

Australopithecus sediba

(via Saving the Silky Sifaka | Science & Nature |...

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:15:00 +0530

(via Saving the Silky Sifaka | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine)

(via xkcd: Mnemonics) PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome Does Cause...

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:06:00 +0530

(via xkcd: Mnemonics)

PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome Does Cause Problems That Judicious Contraceptives Partially Negate.

“…what a miracle life...

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:02:30 +0530

“…what a miracle life is…”

forgetcommonsense

Be Millions of Years ahead of ScheduleALL THE TIME!! $47.99 o.O

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:58:00 +0530

Be Millions of Years ahead of Schedule
ALL THE TIME!!

$47.99

o.O

Calvin, the Acme of Evolution.

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:57:05 +0530

Calvin, the Acme of Evolution.

AHAHAHAHAH. Calvin was hilarious. Actually, I’m kinda...

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:52:03 +0530

AHAHAHAHAH.

Calvin was hilarious. Actually, I’m kinda recalling right now his fascination with archaeology (kids and digging in the mud, awww)

Gotta go hunt up those comics. ^.^

Photo

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:49:12 +0530

ruisu-kun-geosciences: Geological Time Scale.Click HERE for...

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:47:26 +0530

ruisu-kun-geosciences:

Geological Time Scale.

Click HERE for full resolution.

Whenever a form asks for my "race," I write in "Homo sapiens."

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:57:36 +0530

everythingisanthropology:

because you and your simple-minded ideas about human diversity can go ~~take a long walk off a short pier~~ better educate yourself on the subject matter to become a more well-informed member of society.

Photo

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:43:12 +0530

embelesada: While reading about Darwin, I learned that Skandar Keynes is his great-great-great...

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:11:59 +0530

embelesada:

While reading about Darwin, I learned that Skandar Keynes is his great-great-great grandson.

Seriously?!! Wow.

Words and History

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:18:01 +0530

azurewren:

Lamarckian evolution and alchemy were attempts to understand the world. Attempts that came before us.

Read More

Sometimes, I just love what people on tumblr can write. Absolute love.

Just Can't Be Happy Today: Salvaging Lamarck

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:14:34 +0530

Just Can't Be Happy Today: Salvaging Lamarck:

(Click through for a video.)

justcantbehappytoday:

While many credit Darwin as the father of evolution, there were many before him who began to think about ways in which both the human and non-human physiology may have adapted over time. Probably the first to come up with a working theory for this was French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Although Lamarck had correctly identified an evolutionary connection in species, the mechanism which he proposed seemed to be faulty. According to Lamarck, species underwent adaptations during their lifespans that were then passed onto their progeny. Testing this theory, German biologist August Weismann conducted an experiment where he chopped off the tails of some 1500 rats over 20 generations. Weismann noted that not one rat from the experiment was born without a tail. At the same time, Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection gained traction, and it seemed that Lamarck’s theory was put to rest for good.

Fast forward nearly 150 years and enter the burgeoning science of Epigenetics. Researchers are now finding that instances in which the environment of our forebears does in fact alter our DNA. Scientists are now beginning to believe that environmental effects can indeed change inherited traits, strikingly similar to the theory that Lamarck had advanced.

Ashley Ray: So do you guys remember learning about Lamarck in high school biology...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:06:01 +0530

Ashley Ray: So do you guys remember learning about Lamarck in high school biology...:

ashleyray:

So do you guys remember learning about Lamarck in high school biology class when studying evolution? He’s the giraffe guy. You know, had the theory that giraffe necks got longer over time because they wanted to reach leaves and they gained that from their parents and grandparents and so on. We always laughed at him him and said how stupid he was, saying “Darwin knows what is up and Lamarck is just plain dumb”. Though Darwin was incredibly intelligent beyond belief, there is no reason to shoot down Lamarck because of his theory. It was not correct but it wasn’t totally out there! I would have probably thought the same thing in that day and age too. But anyway, that is not what this post is about exactly. After reading a lot on epigenetics and how what we eat and what we are exposed to becomes “memorized” in our genome (epigenome more specifically), it gets passed on to our offspring, so that must contribute to evolution, right? Lamarck’s theory was that acquired characteristics can become inherited. Though the idea of stretching your neck all day would make your offspring have long necks is wrong, the idea that changes to your epigenome can get passed on is true! (Though remember that epigenetics is not just about inheritance. Most of it involves changes of expression during development. The exact definition of epigenetics is always being debated as well) And changes to your epigenome can occur from eating that hot dog or smoking that cigarette. I mean, we haven’t investigated epigenetics in evolution that much, so this is basically unknown in terms of long periods but when gene expression levels change, the individual produces different amounts and levels of proteins and that changes what the body can do. Maybe Lamarck was onto something (obviously not this specific; genetics was completely unheard of at the time. Even Darwin did not know of it but knew the idea of it).

Anyway, I just thought this was cool and wanted to share. I’m personally more interested in epigenetic mechanisms and their influence on diseases and during early development but I do love evolution and immensely enjoyed the class I took on it last fall. Understanding epigenetic changes over time could be something really interesting to look into. It may be 200 years late, but damn Lamarck, you had the right idea!

lightofevolution: Why do giraffes have long necks? Can they see...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 20:52:21 +0530

lightofevolution:

Why do giraffes have long necks?

Can they see predators better?

I’m one of those short people. I don’t know about the perspective of my 6”4’ friend, but I do know that I can certainly find her better in a crowd than I can find my 5”2’ friend. If I’m the predator, then her height makes her like one of those tall McDonalds signs that people can see for miles practically screaming “come and get it”.

Is it an adaptation that allows for giraffes to reach higher food sources?

And if the giraffe just stretches it’s neck out to reach leaves that are farther away, it’ll get a longer neck from all that stretching. And then when it has babies, the offspring will also have long necks… Wait. Nope. Sorry Lamarck. Now we know about heritability. But nice call on evolution; that’s probably true.

Studies actually show that giraffes graze at about the same height as other common tree grazers. (See the scientific report mentioned at end, and don’t believe everything Wikipedia tells you.)

Maybe men with longnecks are just sexier.

Not unlike the way bull elk fight with their antlers, male giraffes participate in neck wrestling, like arm wrestling contests. They sometimes even lick each other in the face in an aggressive manner during these battles (Could this be why people often suggest that giraffes participate in homosexual activities? Are they actually misinterpreting the animals’ activities?). The female tends to choose to mate with the winner of these battles, so the stronger and longer necked giraffes get to pass on their long neck genes. Giraffes developed long necks because of sexual selection.

If you know about the theory behind how something developed, you can understand the subject in a different light.

It’s also good to know about the scientific data supporting a claim and how conclusions are reached. If you want a legit source on the topic:

Winning by a Neck: Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Giraffe by Robert E. Simmons and Lue Scheepers

ahamkara: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck vs. Georges Cuvier ahahaha.

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 20:38:50 +0530

ahamkara:

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck vs. Georges Cuvier

ahahaha.

"Lamarck also recognized that species were adapted to their environment. He explained this..."

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 20:38:08 +0530

“Lamarck also recognized that species were adapted to their environment. He explained this observation by saying that the same nervous fluid driving increasing complexity, also caused the organs of an animal (or a plant) to change based on the use or disuse of that organ, just as muscles are affected by exercise. He argued that these changes would be inherited by the next generation and produce slow adaptation to the environment.”

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I’m pretty sure this is it. Giraffes started out as a “simple” species with “regular” necks but found they couldn’t reach the trees, so after years of stretching to try and reach the leaves, their necks elongated to the point where it was so environmentally favourable that giraffes were eventually just born with long necks. (via opendaylight)

Mere “stretching” did not lead to the long necks. Some mutated “giraffes” with longer necks, appeared quite naturally (genetic mutation is quite natural) and ended up surviving as they were better fit for survival.