Allopatric Speciation, Alloneossic Taxonation
Allopatric speciation & sympatric speciation examine mating barriers and geographic location; alloneossic taxonation adds in adaptation and niche shift.
Punctuated Equilibria: The Improbability Drive
Somewhere between the New Synthesis and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, the theory of Punctuated Equilibria appeared, but it needs an Improbability Drive.
Are Colleges Too Liberal?
Some years back, conservative columnist George F. Will argued that colleges are too liberal.
If liberalism means the freedom to consider new ideas, what else would we expect?
Pejoratives, Slurs, and Semantic Change
Through semantic change, normal words become pejoratives & slurs. The real problem is often a discomfort with the situation.
Sabotaging Children: Living on the Edge
In the past when we were living on the edge, sabotaging children was the only prudent course of action.
On Prejudice
The real problem with prejudice is closed-mindedness: too often our first impression – our prejudice – remains our only impression.
Wasp Evolution & Animal Urbanization
The evidence of wasp evolution around my home is an example of animal urbanization, i.e., how living things adapt to encroaching humanity.
The Black Death, Perfume, and Tobacco Addiction
Could tobacco addiction and the perfume industry be a legacy from the Black Death of the 14th century?
The Limits of Evolutionary Pressure
Industrial melanism illustrates evolutionary pressure/selection pressure. But in punctuated equilibria and large evolution, selection pressure won’t work.
Microevolution, Macroevolution, Small Evolution, Large Evolution
Punctuated equilibria makes a case for shifting from microevolution & macroevolution, to ‘small evolution’ & ‘large evolution.’
Language as Phenotype: Speculative Etymology
A bit of speculative etymology demonstrating language as phenotype. It all starts at birth. Literally…
The Deadliest Animal vs the Best Predator
What is the deadliest animal in America? And is the best predator the deadliest animal, or the most beneficial?
Character Displacement, Language Replacement
Character displacement in biology is similar to language replacement in linguisitics: languages compete, evolve, and even go extinct.
Biological Evolution & Language Evolution
Language evolution can resemble biological evolution. This is an example of how biology can provide insights about innovation in non-biochemical systems.
The Struggle for Existence: The Lovely Deathscape
Nature is beautiful, but it’s really a lovely deathscape: the struggle for existence is everywhere, and only the trees die of old age.
The First Law of Biology: Malthusian Superfecundity
The first law of biology is Malthusian superfecundity: All species produce more offspring than can survive. Humanity is not exempt.