Araneus diadematus

By Matt Young
0 Comments

Photograph by Joel Eissenberg.

Photography Contest, Honorable Mention.

Orb spider and web
Araneus diadematus – orb spider, September, 2024. Mr. Eissenberg notes, "This spider spun a web on the outside of our dining tent on our back patio here in Rumford, Rhode Island."

Ark Park Attendance Drops Steadily: Righting America

By Matt Young
0 Comments
The entrance to the Ark Park, with the fake Ark in the background.
Credit: Northern Kentucky Tribune, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

The fifth anniversary of the Ark Park came up in July, 2021, and the Northern Kentucky Tribune announced in a headline, Ark Encounter marks fifth anniversary with record crowds, announcement of new attractions to come. The claim was not exactly true then – attendance actually began to fall in the fourth year – and William Trollinger, writing this week on the Righting America blog, proclaims in a headline, Sinking Further and Further Below Their Projections: The Facts of Ark Encounter Attendance. Using data provided by the “indefatigable” Dan Phelps, Dr. Trollinger shows that, relative to initial projections, Ark Park attendance has dropped monotonically from 50 % in the first full year of operation to 26 % in the most recent.

As Dr. Trollinger dryly remarks, Williamstown “has not enjoyed the economic benefits that it hoped would come from subsidizing the Ark.”

Sphodros atlanticus

By Matt Young
0 Comments

Photograph by Al Denelsbeck.

Photography Contest, Honorable Mention.

Purseweb spider, showing specialized mouthparts called chelicerae
Sphodros atlanticus – purseweb spider. Mr. Denelsbeck writes, "The business end of a male purseweb spider. While noticeable from above and seeming to take up far more of the spider's body mass than should be necessary, the chelicerae are most impressive from underneath, with very large fangs and serrated edges for gripping prey. Despite that, these are not large spiders – my specimen here is only 10-12 mm in body length. The females are almost never seen, generally remaining inside the lair that provides their name, usually looking like a small twig against a treetrunk (I've searched, but found nothing of the sort so far). Canon 7D, Canon 18-135 STM at 64 mm and 36 mm extension tube, ISO 200, F/13, 1/200 s with custom softbox flash unit."

Evolution revised, by A.I.

By Joe Felsenstein
0 Comments
[image of Toyota robot]
A robot made by Toyota blows its own horn.
Image from Wikimedia.

 

I happened to type “evolution revised” into my Safari browser, and A.I. kicked in. I try to turn off A.I. as much as I can, but this slipped past me. Here’s what it said:

AI Overview

Evolutionary theory is currently being updated from the traditional gene-centric Modern Synthesis to an “Extended Evolutionary Synthesis” (EES). This revised framework incorporates new research, acknowledging that evolution is driven not just by random genetic mutations and natural selection, but also by epigenetic, behavioral, and environmental factors, alongside rapid, often developmental, adaptation.

Key Aspects of Revised Evolutionary Theory

Four Dimensions of Heredity: Beyond genetics, inheritance includes epigenetic (cellular modifications), behavioral (habits and cultural transmission), and symbolic (language) systems.

Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES): Proposes a more comprehensive framework than the Modern Synthesis, integrating developments in evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo), epigenetics, and phenotypic plasticity.

Role of Plasticity and Environment: Organisms can modify their environment (niche construction) and transmit those changes. Acquired traits can be passed down via non-genetic mechanisms.

Faster, Recent Evolution: Recent studies, such as the analysis of 16,000 ancient genomes, reveal that natural selection has accelerated in some populations over the last 10,000 years, affecting hundreds of genes.

Regressive Evolution: Recognized as a common process where organisms lose complex traits to adapt (e.g., loss of eyes in cave-dwelling fish) to conserve energy in specific environments.

Key texts reflecting these changes include Evolution in Four Dimensions, Revised Edition by Jablonka and Lamb and The Princeton Guide to Evolution.

Any thoughts?

To display comments, click on the title of this post