Cutest Biological Anthropology Class Ever!

(smh.com.au) newborn albino pygmy marmosets


(viewimages.com)

Galago (Bush Baby)
- sub-Saharan Africa
- mostly solitary (except when forced into teacups)
- nocturnal
-fast, agile insect hunters

Things I've had to look up for class: Link between Plastics and Estrogen

(vestaldesign.com)

Wired: "Reproductive Disorders Probably Caused by Common Plastic Ingredient, Scientists Say"

Wired: "Male Births Drop Mysteriously in US and Japan"

"The synthetic chemical called bisphenol-A is used to make dental sealants, sturdy microwavable plastics, linings for metal food-and-beverage containers, baby bottles, and numerous other products. When consumed, the chemical can mimic the effects of estrogen. Previous tests had found that bisphenol-A can leach into food and water and that it's widely prevalent in human blood." (Sciencenews.org: "Diabetes from a Plastic? Estrogen mimic provokes insulin resistance")

Frederick vom Saal (Mizzou researcher in this area) - "Researcher Provides Evidence Against Common Household Plastics"

PBS Frontline "Fooling Around with Nature" interview with Frederick vom Saal.

Wikipedia "Plastics": "Research in Environmental Health Perspectives finds that BPA - bisphenol-A (leached from the lining of tin cans, dental sealants and polycarbonate bottles) can increase body weight of lab animals' offspring, as well as impact hormone levels. A more recent animal study suggests that even low-level exposure to BPA results in insulin resistance, which can lead to inflammation and heart disease."

Um - so all major recent health issues are caused by plastic containers? Wonderful.

WebMD "Danger in Plastic Baby Bottles?: Common Plastics Chemical Linked to Genetic Damage" "Other animal studies have linked BPA to low sperm count, hyperactivity, early puberty, obesity, small testes size, and enlarged prostates. But Hunt's is the first study to suggest that BPA can affect future generations."

thegreenguide.com, "The Bisphenol-A Debate: A Suspect Chemical in Plastic Bottles and Cans": "Ninety-five percent of Americans were found to have the chemical in their urine in a 2004 biomonitoring study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

Which means that it's going into our water systems and into streams and rivers. Oh no.

Evolutionary Culture + Creationism

brasilmagic.wordpress.com

The definition of culture from my Biological Anthropology (human evolution) class: Behavioral aspects of human adaptation, including technology, traditions, language, religion, marriage patterns, and social roles. Culture is a set of learned behaviors transmitted from one generation to the next by nonbiological (i.e., nongenetic) means.

Ew, how unromantic.

"Proponents of creation science are called 'creationists' because they explain the existence of the universe as the result of a sudden creation event, directed by an omnipotent, supernatural being, occurring over the source of six 24-hour days as described in the book of Genesis. The premise of creation science is that the biblical account of the earth's origins and the Noah flood can be supported by scientific evidence.
Creationists have insisted that what they used to call 'creation science' and now call 'intelligent design' (ID) is as much a scientific endeavor as is evolution, and that there's scientific evidence to support creationist views. They've argued that in the interest of fairness, a balanced view should be offered: If evolution is taught as science., then creationism should also be taught as science. Sounds fair, doesn't it? But 'creation science' or ID isn't science at all, for the simple reason that creationists insist that their view is absolute and infallible. Therefore, creationism isn't a hypothesis that can be tested, nor is it amenable to falsification. And, because hypothesis testing is the basis of all science, creationism, by its very nature, cannot be considered science." Introduction to Physical Anthropology

In my Biology class at my Christian high school, I had learned that Evolution was theory and not science for the same reason - it could not be tested because evolution and transmutation (the change of one species to another) happened over such long periods of time. It seems kind of silly to dismiss either point of view on such simple grounds.