I maintain a doc of data points about how unlikely it is that we evolved; no scientific rigor or quantification, just "and yet another unlikely thing that happened".
While "there might be a physical reason why ~all plants are green and blue algae never managed to leave the water" is not impacting our likelihood of #evolution, the follow-up effect of "complex surface #life across the universe is likely to have the same range of visible light" certainly deserves a spot...
Fun piece by #JohnHawks on the mystery of the #evolution of the 'German' #cockroach.
Can't really be German can it? Can it?
'The German cockroach deserves to be widely known as an example of rapid evolution of a new species. Not only does it inhabit environments where few insects survive, its environments didn't even exist before a few thousand years ago. No populations of this species have yet been identified outside human structures. Its closest living relatives, including the presumed ancestral species B. asahinai, have very different behaviors and habitats. There's no question that Blattella germanica is new.'
The 'German' cockroach Blatella germanica is only about 2,000 years old as a species, according to new research. It apparently evolved from a wild Asian roach when it adapted to live and travel with humans.
#Scientific#study please! Has anyone ever researched the evolutionary context of the fact that the hungry cheeping in a great tit nest outside the window triggers a feeding reflex in me? I suddenly want to breed aphids and catch midges. 🐥 🐦 🐛
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are by Rebecca Boyle, 2024
Acclaimed journalist Rebecca Boyle takes readers on a dazzling tour to reveal the intimate role that our 4.51-billion-year-old companion has played in our biological and cultural evolution.
Diverse Headgear Of Hoofed Mammals Evolved From A Common Ancestor, study from Baruch College & CUNY Graduate Center, published by Communications Biology
More discussion on that preprint (yes just a preprint and getting Nature commentary!) about when exactly did the #Neanderthal gene flow into modern humans happen. Acc to Iasi et al, from 47 Ka for about 6000 years. Interesting here is the 'introgression deserts' with immediate selection against Nean genes for certain areas.
Viele Dinosaurier entwickelten sich aufgrund starker Klimaschwankungen zu Warmblütern. Eine neue Studie aus Spanien zeigt, wie diese Information helfen kann, die heutige Welt besser zu verstehen. Von Laura Strätling, SWR.
A decent summary of the discussion over shrinkage of brain size in Homo sapiens in the past 100,000 years.
One very strong point is made by Eva #Jablonka, linking reduction of brain size to stratification and class society:
'Jablonka argues that if even if brains did shrink when complex societies emerged, it doesn't necessarily follow that smaller brains were necessarily an adaptive response.
"If 3,000 years ago much larger more complex societies emerged, this could correlate with much greater differences in social classes. If, as a consequence the majority of people were poor, then we know that poverty and malnutrition and things like that would compromise the developing brain."'
We would agree, metabolic and energetic/nutrient constraint is likely important. Marta #Lahr also suggests a link to nutrient deficiency associating to onset of agriculture.
A significant implication is that the super large brains of our ancestors came about through #egalitarianism and strong ethics of #sharing vital nutrients to mothers and children.
How cockroaches spread around the globe to become the pest we know today.
From AP: "A new study uses genetics to chart cockroaches’ spread across the globe, from humble beginnings in southeast Asia to Europe and beyond. The findings span thousands of years of cockroach history and suggest the pests may have scuttled across the globe by hitching a ride with another species: people."
Seeotter fressen täglich bis zu einem Drittel ihres Körpergewichts. Dabei nutzen sie Muschelschalen und Steine als Besteck, um ihre Beute aufzuknacken. Das könnte evolutionäre Vorteile haben. Von Nicolas Hellebrand.
menopause results in females increasing their opportunity for intergenerational help by increasing their lifespan overlap with their grandoffspring and offspring without increasing their reproductive overlap with their daughters. #menopause#whales#evolution