Happy Darwin Day!

On this day, 203 years ago, Charles Robert Darwin was born.  And his brilliant theory is more important today than it has ever been.  Evolution; descent with modification; whatever you call it, the idea that species change throughout time, and are all descended from a common ancestor, is one that connects us to the rest of the living world.  This is a connection that I've always appreciated, yet there are many out there that refuse to accept it.  I've often heard people say "evolution is only a theory", which means they believe it's nothing more than a guess.  And if they believe it to be a guess, it's just as likely as any other guess.  But in science, a theory is so much more than a guess.  It's a body of knowledge, obtained through repeatable observations, that can be used to describe some aspect of Universe to to the best of our ability.  Is a scientific theory subject to change?  If course it is.  As new information is gathered, it can be incorporated into a growing body of knowledge.  But the underlying principles stay the same.  In this case, species do change over time.  They are not fixed.  Through the processes of natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, and others, species do change throughout time.  If a trait is advantageous, it is passed on to the next generation.  If it is not, it gets removed from the population.  New species are born, others go extinct.  Evolution is more than just a guess.  It is a fact.  And I think Darwin Day is a great time to explore this fact in greater detail.  A good place to start is at the PBS Evolution website.  Learn about all facets of this theory, from how Darwin began to formulate it over 150 years ago, to the mechanisms that make it possible. This NOVA program is one of the best on the subject I've seen, and the website has a lot of other interactive features for teachers, students, and the general public.  Happy Darwin Day, and enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin!

On this day, 202 years ago, Charles Robert Darwin FRS was born. What else could I possibly say about this most remarkable of men that I haven't already said? Well I can think of one thing, for sure, but I'll have to sing it.

SSE Darwin Birthday Card, uploaded to YouTube by ssemeagher in 2009.

Please, if you have a moment, take the time to wish my good friend Chuck a happy birthday, and happy Darwin Day to you all!

Interweb Science of the Week #5

Generally speaking, the point of "Interweb Science of the Week" is to showcase something I stumbled across on the web over the course of the last seven days and re-share it with you all. I'd be lying if I said I had done that this week. I've known for a long time what I was going to be featuring today. So without further ado, this edition of ISW is brought to you by YouTube.

YouTube? What? I can hear you all now. "That is certainly interwebs, but where is the science?" Well frankly, if you look for it, you can find science all over YouTube, but since it's Darwin Week, I had a special video I wanted to share. Unfortunately, the official BBC YouTube Channel doesn't have this particular film up, but YouTube user bchetdls has saved the day, and presents Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, hosted by none other than Sir David Attenborough, in six glorious installments.

The program was originally aired back in 2009 in commemoration of Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species". In that spirit, it touches on Darwin's (and Attehborough's) personal voyage of discovery, the development of evolutionary theory over the last century and a half, and how important it is today. I think it's a must see, so give it a look, and enjoy!

In Darwin's Footsteps: Field Studies in the Galápagos Archipelago (Part 2)

A lava gull at the Lobos Islet of Isla San Cristóbal.

If memory serves me, yesterday I left off discussing speciation events that have occurred in the Galápagos Archipelago. Obviously, there is lots of this going on there. Animals and plants, separated from their traditional breeding population, adapt and evolve to better survive in new environments. The lava gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus) provides the perfect example. The population of this sea bird is only around 400 pairs, and they only live in the Galápagos. However, on and around Pacific coast of South America, many other closely relates species can be found. The lava gull, being isolated from the rest of the parent population, has evolved into a unique species found nowhere else on Earth. But geographical isolation is not the only driving force behind the evolution of new species in the Galápagos.

In Darwin's Footsteps: Field Studies in the Galápagos Archipelago (Part 1)

A humble explorer, pointing towards the Pinnacle Rock of Isla Bartolomé.

On 27 December, 1831, The HMS Beagle set sail on what would become one of the most influential voyages of all time. On board was a young gentleman naturalist who, despite suffering from seasickness on a regular basis, kept detailed notes, collected valuable specimens, and made keen observations on the geology, biology, anthropology and ecology of many of the southern continents and islands. This man was Charles Darwin, and it was on this second voyage of the Beagle that he first began his musings on his theory of evolution.

Fossils, the Beagle, and Backyard Osteology

Yesterday, Superoceras kicked off Darwin Week with a fantastic guest post from Dr. Tom Holtz on what everyone should know about paleontology. I think he did a wonderful job of sewing together the threads of Earth, Life, and Time to show why the study of fossils is not only relevant to learning about our collective past, but is important for emphasizing our common future as well. The importance of fossils was not lost on Darwin, and while most people tend to associate him and his theory with places like the Galápagos Islands, and animals like finches, during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, he was also quite the fossil collector. While traveling South America, Darwin collected fossils of many extinct mammals that would later go on to be described by Sir Richard Owen including Toxodon platensis, Macrauchenia patagonica, Mylodon darwini, Equus curdivens, Glossotherium sp., and Scelidotherium leptocephalum (Fernicola et al. 2009). Darwin, a man who was very good at connecting the dots, used his understanding of geology and natural history to identify these organisms as having had existed at some time in the past, and having gone extinct. This was one of the many observations he used when formulating his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Guest Cross-Post: "What Should Everyone Know About Paleontology?", by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

As the third annual Darwin Week begins, it's a great day for paleontology, and for Superoceras as well. After a recent question was posed to the Dinosaur Mailing List, a discussion commenced regarding the most important facts and theories for the general public surrounding paleontology. Luckily for all of us, Dr. Thomas Holtz was there to step up to the plate, and present one of the most comprehensive lists on the subject I've ever seen. Paleontology is a very diverse field with an immensely wide scope, and to be perfectly honest, it doesn't always see the respect it deserves when it comes to media portrayal of the subject. Which is why the following information is of the utmost importance to anyone who wants to get to the real heart of the matter. But you don't need me to tell you that - Dr. Holtz has done a fantastic job of that himself. In the spirit of Charles Darwin, I proudly present the first Superoceras guest post. Thanks for letting me be a part of the dialog, Dr. Holtz!

Tyrannosaurus rex at the American Museum of natural History in New York.