General

[quote=Aren]@aznseal: I've always had real confusion on this: is the evolutionary tree based on similarities across different organisms of chromosomal DNA or mitochondrial DNA? because I feel like there would be no transition between prokaryotes to eukaryotes if it was the former...[/quote]

There are many different views on phylogeny that scientists still disagree with so I can't say =/

[quote=Snovvy]@aznseal:
-While humans are definitely intelligent, there is possibility that some species are more intelligent than us. Certain qualities are leading some experts to conclude that many marine mammals, most notably some species of dolphins, whales, and especially orcas, may be more intelligent that humans. Smarter gorillas are about as intelligent as slower humans. With information like this, I have deducted that the only reason we are the rulers of this planet is because we just so happened to get the right mutations to give us the bodies we have, such as bipedalism, the ability to pass on knowledge to future generations, and most notably, our hands/thumbs/etc.

-There should be no reason the brain of a creature couldn't have evolved with silicon as opposed to carbon, which greatly increases the likeliness for life to occur on other planets.

-Polygamy would be good for society as it promotes the passing on of good genes over bad genes.

Thoughts on these things?[/quote]

What criteria are you using to measure intelligence? Because by any definition of the word I can think of, humans dominate.

The smartest captive apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, etc) operate on the level of a 3 year old human child, maybe 4 year old if the ape is really really smart.

[quote=Clericase]How have pandas not gone extinct with how stupid they are?[/quote]

Preservation.

[quote=catdograt]How do we tell if a specific genetic trait is beneficial to be passed on? For instance, sickle cell anemia may be considered detrimental, but in areas in Africa, the people tend to have sickle cell anemia, which is resistant to malaria. Is there any definitive way to tell which traits are beneficial? o.o[/quote]

It all depends on the habitat. Also, some genotypes are passed down but are expressed in the form of different phenotype depending on environmental stimuli. Generally, if a specific gene trait helps the organism survive, it will more likely to be passed on.

How do we tell if a specific genetic trait is beneficial to be passed on? For instance, sickle cell anemia may be considered detrimental, but in areas in Africa, the people tend to have sickle cell anemia, which is resistant to malaria. Is there any definitive way to tell which traits are beneficial? o.o

@Snovvy: I would also argue that our ability of expanded speech is also a tool. Yes some animals are intelligent, but I feel that intelligence only gets so far. The smartest gorilla is still killed by a gun, and it's our ability to use our intelligence to the highest degree that makes us dominant.

Polygamy is good for gene transfer for sure, but you have to factor in quantity over quality. No racism intended, but some low income minority households tend to have more kids because they hope that eventually, one will hit the jackpot and get lucky and be amazing at sports/school. More wealthy families tend to have fewer kids in order to groom the few to as high of a degree as possible. With that said, I don't think nature's law of polygamy would apply the same way to humans.

@ToxicEffect: Their branchial arches develop differently, they have different scale types, different proportion of dermal and endochondral bones, and of course the material of their skeleton. Teleosts are generally more derived than chondrichthyes

@Dauntaro: I never left.

What made you come back to Basil?

@FiendOverlord: Math team, ultimate frisbee, volunteer, and some i forgot

@aznseal: What kind of extracurriculars did you have in high school that contributed to where you are right now?

@Rtyu: Yes i do.

@catdograt: I hate genetics

@FiendOverlord: My parents make over 200k a year, and by out of pocket I mean they're paying. And right now I tutor/teach

Why don't gurls fart?

Do your parents also make 200k a year?

Since you're paying out of your own pocket, what's your job right now?

How many codon triplets are in 1 strand of DNA? or in all 23 pairs of chromosomes?

@aznseal:

For the most part funding for PhDs runs out after 4 years, hence why most people finish it in around that time-frame.

[quote=desimator546]@aznseal: Out of pocket..dang.

Good luck with everything! And lastly, what are your thoughts on PA's? (Physician assistant)[/quote]

They essentially do the things as many doctors in practice, but in terms of prestige, it's lower than a MD.

@aznseal: Out of pocket..dang.

Good luck with everything! And lastly, what are your thoughts on PA's? (Physician assistant)

[quote=ElectroRetro]Why is Justin Bieber a shemale?[/quote]

LOL. It was funny when his hair was long and he sounded like a girl, but now it's not funny at all. So just don't. Thanks. When I first heard Baby on the radio I [b][/b]thought it was a girl[b][/b] and I couldn't stop laughing with my friends cuz he was like 16 yet he sounded like a 7 year old girl.

[quote=desimator546]@aznseal: What do you want your specialty to be? example: Surgeon, Physician, Psychiatrist etc..

Also, are scholarships or grants covering all this? Or is this out of pocket? (Doubt)[/quote]

I want to either be a surgeon or go on and teach/biomedical research.

I'm paying for medical school out of pocket.

@aznseal: What do you want your specialty to be? example: Surgeon, Physician, Psychiatrist etc..

Also, are scholarships or grants covering all this? Or is this out of pocket? (Doubt)

@desimator546: I'm applying next semester. My list is UAB, Baylor, Duke, Emory, South Alabama, Harvard, Mayo, and a number of UCs and UTs.
@dimo: Ah, here, some PhDs can take as long 6-7 years of grad school T.T

@WunderKind: Yes, no, gay marriage should be legal, never thought about it, probably not.

@africanseal: I miss whiteseal

[quote=StiKman19]I'm thinking of writing an anthro research paper on bipedalism general
gimme all you got[/quote]

Bipedalism is the next best thing to opposable thumbs =P

@aznseal:

Similar: 3 years undergrad, 1 year honours, minimum 3 years PhD (usually around 4 year mark)

So you're planning on attending med school now? If so, what school?

I'm thinking of writing an anthro research paper on bipedalism general
gimme all you got

[quote=dimo]@aznseal:
I currently work on colorectal cancer research at the Systems Biology & Personalised Medicine Division of a major research center.[/quote]

Is a PhD path in Australia the same as the states? Where it's 4 years undergrad, (hopefully) 4 years grad school?

@aznseal:
I currently work on colorectal cancer research at the Systems Biology & Personalised Medicine Division of a major research center.

@dimo: What do you do now btw? I know you got your PhD a while back.
@DinnerSword: Animalia, chordata, mammalia, rodentia, muridae, electrarattus, Electrarattus minor
@Welkin: I think the idea that life originated in the Oceans is fascinating
@xreminiscing: I want to go to med school so I started looking around for a major I liked as a back up. I ended up taking evolution as one of my upper level science courses and I loved it so now i'm going into evolutionary/developmental biology. I really like learning about physiology and development and how that relates to evolution so it's pretty much anatomy class after anatomy class xD I'm also not too familiar on psychology. The most i've learned about it was in bioethics where we argued the rightness/wrongness of it.

1. How did you get into evolutionary biology? Evolution is byfar my favorite part of biology, but I could never see myself doing an entire major on it.

2. What are your feelings toward the field of evolutionary psychology?

[quote=aznseal]He's an XXY.[/quote]

Funny story, well not really funny but relevant, one of the patients that consented to having their tumour resected and sequenced turned out to have Klinefelter syndrome, i.e. XXY.

[quote=LazyLazyLazy]How many Pokemon in the world currently cannot evolve.[/quote]

They can all evolve depending on their niche.

How many Pokemon in the world currently cannot evolve.

[quote=ElectroRetro]Why is Justin Bieber a shemale?[/quote]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WuryYI4-aE

[quote=ElectroRetro]Why is Justin Bieber a shemale?[/quote]

He's an XXY.

Why is Justin Bieber a shemale?