Countdown to Darwin Day

[Martha]

Darwin Day Celebration

February 12 is Darwin Day, a day of celebration of science and reason. My kind of holiday!

Wisconsin public radio has been playing a number of good programs on evolutionary science. Very enjoyable. I learned that Tibetans that have lived for 4-5000 years up high have evolved a different blood chemistry to account for the lack of oxygen, and children born without that chemistry are far less likely to survive.

Learn something new for Darwin Day and post it here.

 

[ls99]

Darwin Day Celebration

February 12 is Darwin Day, a day of celebration of science and reason.

Learn something new for Darwin Day and post it here.

I did not know about Darwin Day. Jeez, now I have homework to do.

 

[FUEGO]

Evolutionary biology is quite an amazing thing. If you have never heard or read much about it and like reading non-fiction, check it out sometime.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Evolutionary biology is quite an amazing thing. If you have never heard or read much about it and like reading non-fiction, check it out sometime.

Here's one of the more interesting things I've read recently:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/science/10cnd-evolve.html

... about the very recent development of lactose tolerance (ability
to digest milk). Apparently it's one of the most recent evolutionary
changes (about 3000 years ago).

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

People with sickle cell disease have a lower mortality rate from malaria.

 

[FUEGO]

... about the very recent development of lactose tolerance (ability
to digest milk). Apparently it's one of the most recent evolutionary
changes (about 3000 years ago).

I believe southeast Asians, who were not accustomed to consuming animal milk, suffer from high rates of lactose intolerance. My children, who are 50% SE Asian, seem to have acquired my lactose tolerance given their love for cheese, ice cream and milk.

 

[FUEGO]

People with sickle cell disease have a lower mortality rate from malaria.

Interesting - I never knew there was a potential evolutionary advantage to sickle cell. My SE Asian wife has a relatively rare (in the standard US of A gene pool) hemoglobin E mutation that always scares the docs into thinking she has sickle cell. Then they researched it and found it is fairly common in some SE Asian populations and only results in slight anemia that usually isn't a problem. But malaria is a big problem in parts of SE Asia. So sickle cell or hemoglobin E would tend to offer protection or at least amelioration from malaria? I guess that explains higher rates of sickle cell among africans too.

 

[Khan]

For those on facebook:

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Can we find 200,000 by Feb 12 to wish Darwin a happy 200th birthday?

 

[Gumby]

Very interesting article on Darwin in this month's National Geographic

Darwin's First Clues — National Geographic Magazine

 

[cantlogin]

It's about time we started a "celebration of science and reason". I'm delighted!

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

I'll strap on a rocket assisted take off to celebrate the day!

 

[ziggy29]

Wow. I never realized that Darwin and Abe Lincoln were born on the same day...