Top 10 Evolutionary Adaptations 716
oneill40 writes "The New Scientist has an interesting article up listing the Top 10 most amazing things to have evolved, including sex, death, the eye, language and parasites!" From the article:"Sponges are a key example of multicellular life, an innovation that transformed living things from solitary cells into fantastically complex bodies. It was such a great move, it evolved at least 16 different times. Animals, land plants, fungi and algae all joined in." J adds: Number four, Language, got a careful look from Carl Zimmer a while back. It's Pinker vs. Chomsky, winner take all, pass the popcorn!
language (Score:4, Funny)
really? by reading slashdot, it feels more like devolution to me!
Bad News (Score:5, Funny)
And talk about missing options sheesh! Best evolutionary adaptation? I vote breasts!
The single most amazing evolutionary adaptation is (Score:2, Funny)
In fact, if ever there was evidence of an omnipotent diety, YOU are it! Obviously, God exists and in your case, he had a terrible accident!
It's almost too easy... (Score:5, Funny)
incomplete list (Score:3, Funny)
The most amazing evolutionary result... (Score:5, Funny)
*ducks*
The sexual evolution! (Score:4, Funny)
"However useful sex may be now that we've got it, that doesn't tell us anything about how it got started"
Are they kidding? I'm sure it was a 'double dog dare' on a Tuesday afternoon in the garden of eden.
How could they have forgotten (Score:1, Funny)
Oh, and sex is defintely #1 in the top 10. Which would you rather have, eyesight or an orgasm?
what about alcohol metabolism? (Score:3, Funny)
disagree. (Score:1, Funny)
Correction (Score:2, Funny)
No, its not called a sponge, its called a falafel thing.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackr
-Bill
Re:language (Score:5, Funny)
And More... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The most amazing evolutionary result... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Beat to the Punch (Score:2, Funny)
Dude... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:What about the thumb? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:YOU INSENSITIVE CLOD!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Originally DNA was FNA (Score:1, Funny)
Re:What about the thumb? (Score:2, Funny)
Bottom 10 Evolutionary advances (Score:5, Funny)
1. tonsils - create more problems than they're worth. F*cking swelling, soreness and sleep apnea.
2. appendix - that's a winner.
3. coccyx - I had to look this up to spell this useless thing right.
4. funny bone - this has never made me laugh. It has helped with new curse words though.
5. needing sleep - 8 hours-c'mon, can't we evolve down to 2 or so.
6. the knee - there has got to be a better way- stretched ligaments, torn ACL's etc.
7. religion - nuff said.
8. ingrown toenails - trim trim trim
9. ingrown hair - great fun digging them out
10. balding - (or hair migration to the back) what is the point of this "evolutionary advance"?
I'm sure I missed many
Re:And More... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why the Eye is not a proof of "intelligent desi (Score:3, Funny)
Re:DNA - Missing from the list (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Evolution is Blind (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, evolution doesn't like it when you do that.
Re:What about the thumb? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:language (Score:1, Funny)
Re:language (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Trying to get a feel for evolution in america - (Score:4, Funny)
For instance; for every creationist scientist you can name, I can name two scientists who believe that creationism is utter rubbish. In fact, I'll do one better: for every creationish scientist you can name, I can name two scientists named steve, who believe that creationism is utter rubbish.
Dr. Stephen T. Abedon, Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Arizona
Dr. Stephen B. Aley, Ph.D., Biology, Rockefeller University
Dr. Steven I. Altchuler, Ph.D., Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
Dr. Stephen W. Arch, Ph.D., Biology, University of Chicago
Dr. Stevan J. Arnold, Ph.D., Zoology, University of Michigan
Dr. Stephen M. Arthur, Ph.D., Wildlife Biology, University of Maine
Dr. Steven W. Barger, Ph.D., Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Steven J. Baskauf, Ph.D., Biology, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Stephen Beckerman, Ph.D., Anthropology, University of New Mexico
Dr. Stephen M. Beverley, Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of California
However, this is all really academic. Biology is a science. Evolution is a scientific theory, as there are simple tests one could devise to disprove it. Creationism is not a scientific theory because it is not disprovable; any evidence to the contrary can be explained away by God's omnipotence.
I doubt anyone objects particularly to Creationism being taught as a religious viewpoint. What most people object to is Creationism being taught as a science, when it is trivial to prove that it is nothing of the sort.
Re:Why the Eye is not a proof of "intelligent desi (Score:4, Funny)
Uh Oh. What if the octopus is the crown of creation and humans are just here for their amusment. That would explain a lot.
Re:As a devout Christian American... (Score:3, Funny)
You obviously know nothing about Gnosticism.
One or more of the Gnostic cults postulated that the "God" who created this Earth was a "blind, idiot God" and that there was a (female, IRRC) deity above him that would set things right eventually.
I think Angelina Jolie is her.
Re:Bad News (Score:1, Funny)
I live in japan! You insensitive clod!