Comments on: Convergence or Parallel Evolution?

By: Renato Bender

Renato Bender — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:41:36 +0000

It is interesting that you mention the relationship between Lamarck’s and Steinmann’s views. I stressed the same point in a diploma work in 1999 (in connection with early hypotheses on hominin evolution, in which Steinmann played a central role).
Just some additional comments to your post:
(a) Steinmann was an ardent proponent of Neo-Lamarckism, often quoted Lamarck and dedicated to him his book “Grundlagen”.
(b) Lamarck’s effort to identify aquatic counterparts to different terrestrial animals is identical to Benoît De Maillet’s (1656-1738) evolutionary views exposed in the manuscript “Telliamed”, posthumously published in 1748.
(c) We can probably say that the begining of “modern” evolutionary theories (Darwin, Wallace) is coincident with the avoidance of major mistakes concerning convergent and parallel evolution.

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:28:20 +0000

I am desperately seeking a compairison chart/diagram of other animals or aquatic showing the evolutionary lineage to the ecological equivalents. I understand the best is between the shark and a whale. Where can I find such a diagram?

By: skeptic

skeptic — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:33:57 +0000

even when a lineage dies out and may seem gone forever, there is no law that says a similar situtation in the future will not produce forms that may be strikingly familiar, even if such organisms are not directly related to the last group that filled their new niche…

If so, why is the common ancestry of all life such a dogma?

By: Nikola

Nikola — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:05:32 +0000

[Note: I thought about deleting this one, but it's just too funny to trash. Although I've edited it for the amount of profanity, I think the author's unsubstantiated point still comes across--Brian]

What kind of morons are you you [x] idiots you are so sick more then those bizzare “animals”,there is no [x] way an elephand is that weak thata bunch of pitifull lions can take him are you that retarded,a lion with it’s little bones in the mouth can bite at a force of 300kgs,i can bite at a force of 150 with some modifications,oooh sorry i forgot about their claws uuuuuuu,so bad it is just [x] bone man and even if it is sharper than the sharpest knife it can’t kill an elephand it would be the same as if you sad a 100 of ordinary pitiful and very annoying cats can kill some human especially because they are very fat today(i mean about humans);idiots and i [x] read on one site that a [x] dog has more powerfull jaw than human well that idiot who wrote it deserves to dye or maybe be bitten by me so he will see who has more power.I mean do you know what is the size of dog lower jwaw you really think that a bne that small comparing to our lower jaw can be stronger,[x] you pitifull idiots fuck you cause you are so gucking weak and bizzare you deserve to be [x] up that easily if someone slapped you you would probably blead whole day bitches,ask yourselves if it is logical and worth living in such pitiful world when you are so weak.

By: Instigator

Instigator — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:27:29 +0000

thats just amazing, i’m a pharmacy student but studying this stuff is way more interesting than pharmacy can every be, i’ve read most of the stuff you wrote on this page before but somehow you make it a bit more easier to digest, i’m hoping to get a degree on zoology after i graduate from pharmacy school but this might be the thing for me after all, ecology & evolution is it? anyway… wish you the best of luck and hope to see you as a respected scientist in the future

peace

By: it ws vey nice topics thanks for gvng such best info ................ basit yousuf here

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:42:43 +0000

thus marsupial lions have evolved due to convergent evolution

By: Blog Carnival - The Tangled Bank « Archaeozoology

Blog Carnival - The Tangled Bank « Archaeozoology — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:45:14 +0000

[...] from far and wide and cover a wide variety of topics, but particularly worthy of a read is ‘Convergence and Parallel Evolution‘ by Laelaps, as well as an amusing ‘guide to translating scientific papers into plain [...]

By: archaeozoo

archaeozoo — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:38:51 +0000

This was fascinating to read.

By: laelaps

laelaps — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 20:50:44 +0000

Note about moderation; Because our friend “Jim” seems unable to do anything except copy and paste the same creationist comment over and over again, the comment has been removed. I believe in giving everyone a chance to speak their mind, but this blog is not to be a repository for endless creationist spam.

By: laelaps

laelaps — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:55:25 +0000

Lars; thank you for the resource! I have actually heard of Steinmann’s ideas before, although I haven’t looked into them in any detail. It looks like I have my weekend reading cut out for me…

Johannes; As always, thank you for the correction. You definitely have a more encylopedic knowledge of many of the animals discussed here than I do, and I definitely appreciate the help (especially since I’m so behind!). The above “archosaur” reference will be changed, and once again I thank you for sharing your expertise.

This first week of school has been a bit of a transition, but I always carry a book with me wherever I go. When I’m at the bus stop, riding in between campuses, waiting for a class to start, etc., I’m usually reading. I have a 2-3 hour break between classes when it doesn’t make sense for me to go back to the apartment sometimes, so I do most of my writing then and then later in the evening (although I generally don’t do as much at night because I don’t like using the iBook that serves as my main computer at the moment). I actually feel a bit old because I typically get tired around 10:30/11 PM and am typically asleep by 12/12:30 AM, getting in a full 7-8 hours each night. I wish I could stay up later and do some more work/reading, but I guess my brain rebels against the very idea.