15 JUN 2016 by ideonexus
The Singularity of the Human Species
The singularity of the human species, 1 the study and defence of which form the plan of this work, stands out principally in the actual characteristics of what we shall call in these pages the Noosphere (or thinking envelope) of the earth. But just because, forming a true singularity (and not a simple irregularity) in evolutionary matter, humanity is born not by an accident but from the prolonged play of the forces of cosmogenesis, its roots must theoretically be recognisable (as in fact they... 1 
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notes09 AUG 2014 by ideonexus
The Mother's Womb Tests the Viability of the Fetus
Given the invasive nature of pregnancy, it’s perhaps not surprising that the primate womb has evolved to be wary of committing to it. Mammals whose placentae don’t breach the walls of the womb can simply abort or reabsorb unwanted foetuses at any stage of pregnancy. For primates, any such manoeuvre runs the risk of haemorrhage, as the placenta rips away from the mother’s enlarged and paralysed arterial system. And that, in a sentence, is why miscarriages are so dangerous.
It’s also w... 1 notes
notes09 AUG 2014 by ideonexus
Invasive Blood-Seeking Fetuses in Mammals
In most mammals, the mother’s blood supply remains safely isolated from the foetus. It passes its nutrients to the foetus through a filter, which the mother controls. The mother is a despot: she provides only what she chooses, which makes her largely invulnerable to paternal manipulation during pregnancy.
In primates and mice, it’s a different story. Cells from the invading placenta digest their way through the endometrial surface, puncturing the mother’s arteries, swarming inside and ... 1 notes
notes22 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
The Beauty of Being Ancestor to an Ape
Man is no new-begot child of the ape, bred of a struggle for existence upon brutish lines—nor should the belief that such is his origin, oft dinned into his ears by scientists, influence his conduct. Were he to regard himself as an extremely ancient type, distinguished chiefly by the qualities of his mind, and to look upon the existing Primates as the failures of his line, as his misguided and brutish collaterals, rather than as his ancestors, I think it would be something gained for the et... 1 notes
notesIs the ancient nature of our existence, and the ability to see ourselves as superior to other primates in mental function.
21 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Evolution is No More Irreligious Than Birth Through Biolo...
I am aware that the conclusions arrived at in this work will be
denounced by some as highly irreligious; but he who denounces them
is bound to shew why it is more irreligious to explain the origin of
man as a distinct species by descent from some lower form, through
the laws of variation and natural selection, than to explain the birth of
the individual through the laws of ordinary reproduction [the pattern
of development]. 1 notes
notesDarwin challenges the religious to explain why being related to primates is any worse than being conceived through sexual intercourse.
16 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Dolphins have Genes for Smelling
Another curious tale of dead genes involves our sense of smell, or
rather our poor sense of smell, for humans are truly bad sniffers among
land mammals. Nevertheless, we can still recognize over 10,000 different
odors. How can we accomplish such a feat? Until recently, this was a
completely mystery. The answer lies in our DNA—in our many olfactory
receptor (OR) genes.
[...]
Our own sense of smell comes nowhere close to that of mice. One
reason is that we express fewer OR genes—only abou... 1 notes
notesYet, as aquatic mammals, they have no need to smell anything.
16 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Vestigial GLO Pseudogene
And the evolutionary prediction that we’ll find pseudogenes has been
fulfilled—amply. Virtually every species harbors dead genes, many of them still active in its relatives. This implies that those genes were also
active in a common ancestor, and were killed off in some descendants but
not in others. Out of about 30,000 genes, for example, we humans carry
more than 2,000 pseudogenes. Our genome—and that of other species—
are truly well populated graveyards of dead genes.
The most fam... 1 notes
notesUsed to produce Vitamin C, alive in most mammals, but dead in humans, primates, and others.
28 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
The Importance of the Tribe in Parenting
Birth—before the advent of modern medicine—often resulted in the mother’s death. Though no one knows the true figure, estimates run as high as 1 in 8. Tribes with females who could quickly relate to and trust nearby females were more likely to survive. Older females, with the wisdom of their prior birthing experiences, could care for new mothers. Women with kids could provide precious milk to a new baby if the birth mother died. Sharing and its accompanying social interactions thus prov... 1 notes
notesOur ancestors were social animals, and, with a high-fatality rate for pregnancies, we relied heavily on our relatives to raise our offspring.
29 JUN 2011 by ideonexus
The Paradox of Crying Babies
Crying is the earliest and most compelling of infant signals," writes Ronald Barr, and surely there is no sound on earth more piercing than the cry of an infant. The ability to cry was hard-wired into human babies long ago as a potent signal to get adult attention. Like other primates, human infants needed to be able to send a message of distress to motivate action on the part of someone more able. The same kind of vocal signals are found in Rhesus monkeys, for example, which have very distin... 1 notes
notesThe alarm compels the mother to care for the child, but it can also push them to abuse it.
