Recently in Evolution Category

Where does good come from?

By Otto on April 23, 2011 2:04 PM | 5 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

What Wilson is trying to do, late in his influential career, is nothing less than overturn a central plank of established evolutionary theory: the origins of altruism. His position is provoking ferocious criticism from other scientists. Last month, the leading scientific journal Nature published five strongly worded letters saying, more or less, that Wilson has misunderstood the theory of evolution and generally doesn't know what he's talking about. One of these carried the signatures of an eye-popping 137 scientists, including two of Wilson's colleagues at Harvard.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/04/17/where_does_good_come_from/?page=full

(Thanks to Osman for sending)

A Mother's Grief

By Otto on January 31, 2011 8:12 PM | 14 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Chimpanzees appear to mourn their dead infants just like humans, scientists have discovered.

Chimpanzee mothers establish close physical relationships with their young, carrying them for up to two years and nursing them until they are six.

But now scientists have filmed how one chimpanzee



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1352119/Chimpanzees-mourn-dead-children-just-like-humans.html#ixzz1Ce6a0iE0

Why is it suprizing that apes have human like experiences?
What does this tell us about the continuum of 'man' and 'beast' ?

(Thanks to Allison)

Gorilla Walks Like Human, Upright On Two Hind Legs (VIDEO)

By Otto on January 28, 2011 12:21 PM | 8 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

"A gorilla has achieved fame for walking upright on his hind legs like a human at a British animal park.

Ambam, a Western lowland gorilla, was filmed strolling about his enclosure by animal researcher Johanna Watson."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41292533/ns/technology_and_science-science/

How does this relate to explanationsof how man began to stand?
How does this relate to the concept of the chain of being?
How does this relate to comparative psychology?

The Birth of an Island

By Otto on January 25, 2011 12:36 PM | 5 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

How does this tie into Darwin's ideas of evolution?

 If you can't get the video to work here try:

http://bbcearth.posterous.com/the-birth-of-a-new-island-on-film

 

« Eugenics | Main Index | Archives | Historical »