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Rate of Evolution Metrics Observed

Posted by kdawson on from the it's-good-to-be-small-and-warm dept.

eldavojohn notes an article up at Science Daily on research demonstrating that smaller animals with warmer blood evolve faster than larger, colder animals. From the article: "Across species from fish to mammals, they found that rates of protein evolution showed the same body size and temperature dependence as metabolic rate. Specifically, their mathematical model predicts that a 10-degree increase in temperature across species leads to about a 300 percent increase in the evolutionary rate of proteins, while a tenfold decrease in body size leads to about a 200 percent increase in evolutionary rates."

15 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Another finding... by markov_chain · · Score: 5, Funny

    Using the estimated rates, scientists projected evolution to have started about 6,000 years ago. ;)

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    Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
    1. Re:Another finding... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      http://independencebaptist.org/6,000%20Year%20Old%20Earth/6,000_year_old_earth.htm it has been proven!!

  2. But... but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Evolution is just a theory! I live in Kansas and my teacher was forced to tell me that!

    1. Re:But... but... by toriver · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, thankfully evolution has not been demonstrated; if it had, we would have stuff like multi-resistant bacteria and animal breeding (which is nothing more than guided evolution).

      Now if you'll excuse me, I need to learn more about how the Sun revolves around the Earth...

  3. Correction by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 2, Funny

    Excuse me, that is Intelligent Design Metrics thank you very much.

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    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  4. Re:Correlation, not causation? by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nah, it's just that smaller animals take less time to Design.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  5. This explains everything! by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Funny

    notes an article up at Science Daily on research demonstrating that smaller animals with warmer blood evolve faster than larger, colder animals. Well, that explains why Republicans don't believe in evolution; it occurs too slowly for them to notice.
    --
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    1. Re:This explains everything! by spleen_blender · · Score: 2, Funny

      History doesn't seem to be their forte either.

  6. This explains a lot! by StefanJ · · Score: 5, Funny

    My college buddy's ferret had a fever once. Before it was over she evolved wings, grew a sixth digit on each paw, became super-intelligent and built an interociter which she used to summon a rescue saucer from a race of hyper-sapient star-ferrets.

    1. Re:This explains a lot! by wezeldog · · Score: 2, Funny

      I, for one, welcome our new mustelid overlords.

  7. Re:dinosaurs by nuzak · · Score: 5, Funny

    > So that means the dinosaurs (huge cold blooded reptiles) were an evolutionary dead end?

    Dinosaur Spokesman: We had a good what, hundred, two hundred million year run? How long you human critters been around? Two mil? Odds on making it to three?

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  8. We all know... by grumpyman · · Score: 5, Funny

    smaller got eaten by bigger, and generally, hot is tastier than cold.

  9. Choose Your Own Joke! by apparently · · Score: 4, Funny
    Whales and elephants don't breed often; that would retard the propagation of genetic changes.

    Look asshole, maybe to you a whale/elephant hybrid is "retarded", but to me, it's "fucking awesome".

    or, (if you prefer a less vulgar joke)

    Man, I really gotta start watching the Discovery Channel more often. I always assumed that whales and elephants didn't breed at all, but "not often"? Wicked!

  10. Re:dinosaurs by Dragonslicer · · Score: 2, Funny

    So that means the dinosaurs (huge cold blooded reptiles) were an evolutionary dead end? Everyone knows that reptiles would be ruling the world now if it weren't for that meddling Chrono.
  11. Re:dinosaurs by jackpot777 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dinosaur Spokesman: We had a good what, hundred, two hundred million year run? How long you human critters been around? Two mil? Odds on making it to three?
    --- Mammalian spokessloth/person/elephant: We've been crawling around this rock, or swinging in the trees, for over 200 million years already. And we don't let a little thing like hot iridium dust get in the way between us and world domination. [thumbs hairy snouts at fossils] So nyer. [/thumbs hairy snouts at fossils]
    --
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