This book compares Lincoln and Darwin, two 19C giants. He illuminates Lincoln's orderly way of thinking and sparse prose, Darwin's phenomenal capacity for observation. I have some updates for Darwin, if he's reading in the great somewhere: lA toothy amphibian with keen hearing represents a missing link that at last settles a debate over the origin of frogs and salamanders. A Texan fossil, Gerobatrachus hottoni ("Hotton’s elder frog") from around 300 million years ago, proves that some modern amphibians, frogs, and salamanders evolved from one group of ancient primitive amphibians called temnospondyls, some of which were up to 1.5 feet long.
More news: scientists in Canada's Arctichave discovered a "missing link" in the early evolution of seals and walruses - the skeleton of a web-footed, otter-like creature that was evolving away from a life on land. Developing flippers, etc. The 23 million-year-old creature was not a direct ancestor of today's seals, sea lions and walruses, more like a branch of the family tree. But it does show what an early direct ancestor looked like.
You've heard of Richard the Lion Hearted, but di you know that giant lions once roamed the world alongside tigers and jaguars? As recently as 13,000 years ago , the British Isles, Europe, and North America had cats that weighed about the same amount as a small car.
If only Darwin were alive, I'd forward this so fast. He would particularly appreciate the elegance of the frog reasoning. Here in my Sausalito forest overlooking the water, I'm dreaming of those huge cats. What marvels they must have been. But other evolution news, like the fate of the wooly mammoths, depresses me,. Today, the rate of species extinction now is expotentially faster than any time in history.
Weather? People can certainly die from heat, though today's climate change seems erratic, since some parts of the globe are cooling. The good thing is that you take the same preventive measures for climate control, whether it's heat or chill. Readers, have you seen the movie "Winged Migration?" If not, DVD time. It's magnificent. Sadly, heat, chill, and man are altering the markers for the migrating flocks, which the movie doesn't preach about, but it worries me . Love cash for clunkers (even though the cars will all sell in SA, thus retaining the present carbon print) but dislike the windmill lobby. Those contraptions slaughter 100s of thousnads of birds.
Did you know Neanderthals, freckled redheads, were overrun (like the Europeans today), but they did ask for it when they began clubbing baby seals. Right now there's a documentary film playing here and there that shows the Japanese butchering dolphins for snacks. Have any of you ever gone swimming with dolphins? One of life's great experiences. - Ann Seymour, author of "I've Always Loved You," a true story of ww2 in the Pacific.