Requests Roleplaying Video Games Entertainment & Media
Politics & World General Spirituality & Philosophy Worldbuilding
Creative Forum The Sports Center Science, Math, & Technology The Nostalgia Forum
Sexuality Hot Takes Complaints Awwww
Hobbies      

Science, Math, & Technology


STEM_fields++;

Today I learned ...

Posted Over 4 Years ago by chiarizio

[unparsed]
Today I learned that new species can become established in a matter of centuries.
There are several related species of mouse on some island who evolved in 600 years, about.
There is a species of mosquito in the London Underground that have evolved in 150 years.

—————

The thing that can really speed up evolution is a genome-doubling event, or something similar if the population has already undergone a genome-doubling event.
Partial aneuploidies, in which only some chromosomes occur in increased or decreased numbers, tend to be highly disadvantageous. Whole-genome-doubling events are much less likely; but also less likely to be detrimental —— or likely to be less detrimental — if they do occur.

Then if one of a duplicated chromosome mutates, there’s probably still an unmutated version still doing its old job the old way. That makes mutations less likely to be fatal.

——

The real creator of speciation is (I think) splitting the population into two or more groups who will then be isolated from each other. Usually the splitting and isolation are geographic; but it could be something else.

There are 17 Replies

extensionEnable Post Pagination

[unparsed]
Today I learned about the marriage and kinship and residency systems of the Rukuba tribe in Nigeria. Very interesting. The customs regarding second marriages are fascinating!

Edit:
https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rukuba

Over 4 Years ago
chiarizio
 

[unparsed]
[size=7]bump, maybe?

Over 3 Years ago
chiarizio
 

[unparsed]
Today I learned, from the Scientific American I just found in my mailbox, that:
The Tower* Black Raven prefers kipping on her back! ** She’s not dead, she’s restin’!
(And her name is Merlina. She’s one of seven.)

*of London
  • from about 1:35 to about 1:45

    • Over 3 Years ago
    chiarizio
     

    [unparsed]
    Today I learned about Irigwe 2ndary marriage, and how it compares and contrasts with Rukuba secondary marriage.

    https://urresearch.rochester.edu/fileDownloadForInstitutionalItem.action?itemId=6541&itemFileId=10621

    Both cultures are patrilineal and patrilocal and virilocal; yet the Rukuba very much emphasize female choice, while among the Irigwe a woman’s entire marital career is governed by her father or a “father-at-hand” (“official” father-surrogate).

    Over 3 Years ago
    chiarizio
     

    [unparsed][quote:58f99bb0ef="chiarizio"]Today I learned that new species can become established in a matter of centuries.
    There are several related species of mouse on some island who evolved in 600 years, about. [/quote:58f99bb0ef]

    I didn't think it would be that quick!

    Are they like dog~wolf (practically speaking species because of population separation but can interbreed) or human~bonobo (different species because even if they do tango, no offspring are made)?

    [quote:58f99bb0ef]There is a species of mosquito in the London Underground that have evolved in 150 years. [/quote:58f99bb0ef]

    Interesting. I've read that mosquitoes can reproduce at a rate of ten generations in a year. Maybe a little less in the cool dank of the London Underground? (Or maybe more now that they're evolving to their niche!)

    That's about equivalent to 30,000 years of human activity. I don't think it will be possible for us to speciate, barring some massive cataclysm. But it is fascinating that these little critters are doing so all over the place!



    Microspecies.

    Ain't evilution wonderful!? :twisted:

    [quote:58f99bb0ef]The real creator of speciation is (I think) splitting the population into two or more groups who will then be isolated from each other. Usually the splitting and isolation are geographic; but it could be something else.[/quote:58f99bb0ef]

    I think this is the classic example. Galapagos Island proliferation. European pygmy hippos, etc.

    The mosquitoes you mention would certainly count as isolated, but possibly still admitting of some random (train delivered) new blood.

    One wonders how many microspecies of rodents and insects there may actually be. Not just in subway tunnels, but in well established environments like old apartment complexes, hospitals, markets, sporting & entertainment venues and the like. Deep in the sub-basements of old Chicago or NYC buildings, there could be dozens or hundreds of mouse & cockroach microspecies!

    :shock:

    Over 3 Years ago
    elemtilas
     

    [unparsed]

    One wonders how many microspecies of rodents and insects there may actually be.


    Well, I wasn’t before, but I am now!

    Over 3 Years ago
    chiarizio
     

    You know how a thousand rainbow trout are a thousand fish, but one each of a thousand different piscine species are a thousand fishes?

    Something similar happens when pluralizing “referendum”.

    If fifty different states each have a ballot proposition all about one and the same issue, that’s fifty referendums.

    If one state has twenty-seven ballot propositions each about a different issue, that’s twenty-seven referenda.

    Over 2 Years ago
    chiarizio
     

    I never bought the "random mutations" idea. Instead of that there seems to be a lot of variety present within any particular species, and environmental differences will determine which ones appear. Things like lactase persistence don't really make sense given the existing models of evolution

    Over 2 Years ago
    Xhin
    Sky's the limit

    If fifty different states each have a ballot proposition all about one and the same issue, that’s fifty referendums.

    If one state has twenty-seven ballot propositions each about a different issue, that’s twenty-seven referenda.


    On a similar topic, I recently learned that the correct plural of octopus actually is octopuses, or potentially octopodes. The etymology is greek, not latin. Only in latin do you pluralize -us as -i.

    Over 2 Years ago
    Xhin
    Sky's the limit

    Or if you really want to be an asshole, don't use anything other than ὀκτώποδες.

    Over 2 Years ago
    Xhin
    Sky's the limit

    Today I found out that the major predator of sloths is harpy eagles!

    Over 1 Year ago
    chiarizio
     

    Today I found out that Cleopatra lived closer to the beginning of space flight than to the building of the pyramids.

    Over 1 Year ago
    chiarizio
     

    Windshield wipers, that could be operated from the interior of a motor vehicle, were invented by a black woman.
    I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve forgotten her name!

    11 Months ago
    chiarizio
     

    Windshield wipers, that could be operated from the interior of a motor vehicle, were invented by a black woman.
    I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve forgotten her name!


    After doing a minor amount of research, it appears that her name was Mary Anderson, but that she was not a black woman.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Anderson_(inventor)

    11 Months ago
    galbraith

    @galbraith:
    You wrote:
    After doing a minor amount of research, it appears that her name was Mary Anderson, but that she was not a black woman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Anderson_(inventor)


    Hmmm! How did I get the idea she was?

    ….

    Thanks!

    11 Months ago
    chiarizio
     

    Not facts from today, but probably over the last week:

  • Scientists believe crows today possess intelligence comparable to human intelligence during our Stone Age - meaning, crows are in their Stone Age

  • Kangaroos are considered pests in Australia - and worse, have developed a habit of trying to drown people in lakes for fun

  • Belfries often contain multiple species of bats. I'm pretty sure there's one that contains like, 50 or more unique species

  • NYC has about 2 Million rats, the equivalent of 25% of the NYC population (I've seen one near a construction project that tore up the plaza next to Grand Central Station a few years ago. they really can be the size of a cat.) Additionally, there are uptown and downtown rats, according to one study.

  • Billy Joel's song "Allentown" is actually about Bethlehem, PA. He was staying in a hotel in Bethlehem while he wrote it, but Allentown sounded better than Bethlehem - and lacked religious connotations lol

  • The Lifehouse song "Hanging by a Moment" was written in about 15 minutes. It was purely written by stream of consciousness.

  • "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" was supposed to have the lyrics "If you like Humphrey Bogart and getting lost in the rain", but the singer changed the lyrics to "If you like piña coladas and getting lost in the rain" a few seconds before recording the song. This recording was the first time the singer ever sang the song and it was recorded in a single take.

    ... Full disclosure, most facts I am going to have will be animal or music-related.

    ¤¤♅êîrÐ Øccu®＠n瀤¤

    • 11 Months ago
    Weird Occurance

    Very cool, W.O.! Thanks!

    11 Months ago
    chiarizio
     

    This thread is archived