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Author Topic:   Phylogenomics resolves the timing and pattern of insect evolution
Tanypteryx
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Posts: 4344
From: Oregon, USA
Joined: 08-27-2006
Member Rating: 5.9


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Message 1 of 4 (740686)
11-06-2014 5:46 PM


Phylogenomics resolves the timing and pattern of insect evolution Cover Story in Nov. 7 Issue of the Journal Science.
One of my good friends contributed a huge amount of data to this project and is also a co-author. Of Dragonflies and Dinosaurs: Rutgers University-Newark Researcher Helps Map Insect Origins, Evolution

What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python
One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie
If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Tanypteryx, posted 11-06-2014 6:17 PM Tanypteryx has not replied
 Message 3 by Taz, posted 11-07-2014 11:47 AM Tanypteryx has replied

  
Tanypteryx
Member
Posts: 4344
From: Oregon, USA
Joined: 08-27-2006
Member Rating: 5.9


(1)
Message 2 of 4 (740689)
11-06-2014 6:17 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Tanypteryx
11-06-2014 5:46 PM


Another article about the project in Wired.
When Did Insects Evolve?

What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python
One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie
If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Tanypteryx, posted 11-06-2014 5:46 PM Tanypteryx has not replied

  
Taz
Member (Idle past 3291 days)
Posts: 5069
From: Zerus
Joined: 07-18-2006


Message 3 of 4 (740750)
11-07-2014 11:47 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Tanypteryx
11-06-2014 5:46 PM


Is it necessary for biologists to come up with hard-to-pronounce names for everything?
Physicists somehow manage to come up with simple names for things.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Tanypteryx, posted 11-06-2014 5:46 PM Tanypteryx has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by Tanypteryx, posted 11-08-2014 1:16 AM Taz has not replied

  
Tanypteryx
Member
Posts: 4344
From: Oregon, USA
Joined: 08-27-2006
Member Rating: 5.9


(1)
Message 4 of 4 (740895)
11-08-2014 1:16 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by Taz
11-07-2014 11:47 AM


Physicists somehow manage to come up with simple names for things.
Well physicists seem to delight in using random words to name things, i.e. strange, charm, up, down quarks.
Is it necessary for biologists to come up with hard-to-pronounce names for everything?
I admit some names are real tongue twisters. When I was a kid and first getting interested in biology and specifically dragonflies I thought it was so cool to learn these names that none of my friends knew. There were no regional guide books like there are now. I just had the Manual of the Dragonflies of North America and all it had were scientific names, no one had come up with common names yet.
When a list of the common names for North America was proposed I was against using them, but as time went on more and more people got interested in dragonflies and damselflies and they all used common names, so communication became harder. Now there are lots of guide books that have both names so I can look up the common names and figure out which species these people are talking about.
Years ago, when the common names were first proposed my best friend was the president of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas and he decided we needed a common names committee. As a joke he appointed me to be a member. I took it as my job to remind people that all these species had a real name already (if they had been described) and to try and make the common names reflect either the scientific name or something specific about the species that differentiates it from close relatives.
A lot of us call the people who refuse to learn the scientific names "bug huggers". They mostly are not scientists and they keep "life lists" and "the dragonfly is their totem", etc. We grudgingly welcome them into our society because they buy our books and help us preserve habitat.
So, I guess the answer is we give those names because we are snobs.

What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python
One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie
If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by Taz, posted 11-07-2014 11:47 AM Taz has not replied

  
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