After the speculation about the origins of Cheddar man, a nice topical look at what is currently known (or thought to be the case) about primate and human evolution has been made available (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/12/tracing-the-tangled-tracks-of-humankinds-evolutionary-journey). One of the more striking observations is that the average size of the modern human's brain has reduced by some 5-10% over the last 200,000 years. The brain is a greedy organ, consuming around 20% of our energy and 'domestication' (our domesticated animals have smaller brains than their wild progenitors) may mean that current humans can get by with smaller brains than our ancestors (who had more to worry about or to deal with?). Pretty obviously, babies with smaller heads are also less likely to lead to problems at parturition (so this factor could have direct selection value).
This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Monday, 12 February 2018
Brainslip
After the speculation about the origins of Cheddar man, a nice topical look at what is currently known (or thought to be the case) about primate and human evolution has been made available (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/12/tracing-the-tangled-tracks-of-humankinds-evolutionary-journey). One of the more striking observations is that the average size of the modern human's brain has reduced by some 5-10% over the last 200,000 years. The brain is a greedy organ, consuming around 20% of our energy and 'domestication' (our domesticated animals have smaller brains than their wild progenitors) may mean that current humans can get by with smaller brains than our ancestors (who had more to worry about or to deal with?). Pretty obviously, babies with smaller heads are also less likely to lead to problems at parturition (so this factor could have direct selection value).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Weight-loss Drugs: A Panacea?
GLP-1RAs are found in all weight-loss medications including Mounjaro; Saxenda;and Wegovy. A very substantial US study, looked at almost 21...
-
It's necessary, where possible, to replace diesel and petrol-fueled vehicles by electrical equivalents. Electric vehicles (EVs) don...
-
Zonal pricing is a proposed change to the UK energy market. It would result in energy consumers paying less for electricity, if they are ba...
-
Seagrasses are the only flowering plants growing in marine environments. Seagrass meadows (large accumulations of these plants) provide vit...
No comments:
Post a Comment