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Author Topic:   We Evolved Pretty Quickly
DC85
Member (Idle past 380 days)
Posts: 876
From: Richmond, Virginia USA
Joined: 05-06-2003


Message 1 of 46 (44911)
07-03-2003 2:18 AM


we are very Rare Creatures
its Amazing in the Earth's History we Seem to be the Only "intellegent" (its in qoutes because I consider us Animals all the way) life to Ever Evolve. Its Pretty amazing if you think about it. It is Very Rare. I mean the Dionsaurs Had the Planet for around 160 Million Years and its amazing Something Didn't Evolve. but in our Little 65 we happened...........
[This message has been edited by DC85, 07-03-2003]

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Peter
Member (Idle past 1479 days)
Posts: 2161
From: Cambridgeshire, UK.
Joined: 02-05-2002


Message 2 of 46 (44923)
07-03-2003 4:49 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by DC85
07-03-2003 2:18 AM


Re: we are very Rare Creatures
Well ... technically we are one of the results of
approx. 3.5billion years of evolution.
That is we have had 65million years MORE than the
dinosaurs.

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Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by mark24, posted 07-10-2003 5:50 AM Peter has replied

  
DC85
Member (Idle past 380 days)
Posts: 876
From: Richmond, Virginia USA
Joined: 05-06-2003


Message 3 of 46 (44983)
07-03-2003 12:56 PM


Yes however we most likey might not have gotton our Chance if Dinosaurs Never went extinct.... mammels would still be creatures Under the feet of Dinosaurs (most likely). I mean mammels changed Very little from the time they Evolved to the end of the Mesozic. but this 65 Million years did amazing this for this group
[This message has been edited by DC85, 07-03-2003]

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Autocatalysis
Inactive Member


Message 4 of 46 (45574)
07-10-2003 12:17 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by DC85
07-03-2003 2:18 AM


Re: we are very Rare Creatures
Interesting. I have heard that there was a small species of dinosaur that had a physical stature and brain capacity comparable to chimpanzees. Hmmmwhere was that, a new scientist article I think,,have to look it up. There are differences in mammals that give a little advantage in the development of intelligence. Namely the quality of continuous eye tracking, absent in all other animals. It requires enormous brainpower in the visual cortex, yes mice have huge brain in this respect compared to comparably sized lizard

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crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 5 of 46 (45586)
07-10-2003 4:47 AM


What bugs me is movies where the inhuman villian condemns the entire human race, saying something like "the dinosaurs had their time, you've had yours" or the like.
I mean, the dinosaurs had 100 million years or whatever. Human civilization has only been around for what, 10,000? Way less than 100 million - way less than 1 million, even.
Seems hardly fair to me. Seems like we've got a little more time left on the meter, if you ask me.

Replies to this message:
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mark24
Member (Idle past 5195 days)
Posts: 3857
From: UK
Joined: 12-01-2001


Message 6 of 46 (45595)
07-10-2003 5:50 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by Peter
07-03-2003 4:49 AM


Re: we are very Rare Creatures
Peter,
That is we have had 65million years MORE than the
dinosaurs.
Well, not really, the sparrows in my garden have had the same as me, & they are descended from dinosaurs. It's just that more time doesn't = more intelligence. The brain is a very costly organ, any increase in size must = greater fitness, or such moves will be selected against. Would a sparrow be fitter with twice the intelligence when it burns twice the fuel? I doubt it. We got lucky in that we had preexisting traits that could capitalise on increades intellignce, opposable thumbs etc.
Mark

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Peter
Member (Idle past 1479 days)
Posts: 2161
From: Cambridgeshire, UK.
Joined: 02-05-2002


Message 7 of 46 (45608)
07-10-2003 9:17 AM
Reply to: Message 6 by mark24
07-10-2003 5:50 AM


I was really just pointing out the mis-conception about
how long it took us to evolve.
The preexisting traits that led to us were evolving for
millions of years prior to the 65million referred to as the
time to produce humans.
If WE burn more fuel due to our intelligence, then the same
fitness benefit would apply to any creature.
If we don't, then, well, the reasoning kindof fails there
All extant creatures are the result of the last 3.5Billion years
of evolution on the planet. Truncating that at some
arbitray point in the past is, well, arbitrary ... and in my
opinion mis-leading.

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Replies to this message:
 Message 9 by mike the wiz, posted 07-10-2003 11:23 AM Peter has replied
 Message 26 by Dr_Tazimus_maximus, posted 07-29-2003 1:40 PM Peter has replied

  
Peter
Member (Idle past 1479 days)
Posts: 2161
From: Cambridgeshire, UK.
Joined: 02-05-2002


Message 8 of 46 (45609)
07-10-2003 9:21 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by DC85
07-03-2003 12:56 PM


Maybe ... thems the chances you take with allowing
an evolutionary system to get going.
The problem I have always had with the 'global extinction of
dinosaurs' is that that is not what you can see from the
fossil record.
What you see is that a large number of species of dinosaur
disappeared ... those that accept that birds stem directly from
dinos. cannot calim global dino. extinction, since every
christmas robin is a descendent of the dino. family branch
that led there.

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mike the wiz
Member
Posts: 4752
From: u.k
Joined: 05-24-2003


Message 9 of 46 (45631)
07-10-2003 11:23 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by Peter
07-10-2003 9:17 AM


'All extant creatures are the result of the last 3.5Billion years
of evolution on the planet'
thats a nice old figure to work with isn't it . lol

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Peter, posted 07-10-2003 9:17 AM Peter has replied

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Peter
Member (Idle past 1479 days)
Posts: 2161
From: Cambridgeshire, UK.
Joined: 02-05-2002


Message 10 of 46 (46067)
07-15-2003 8:21 AM
Reply to: Message 9 by mike the wiz
07-10-2003 11:23 AM


I like it
And it is consistent with scientific research from a variety
of fields.
In this thread, however, the OP suggested an acceptance of
the contempory modern time-scale for the earth and life
upon it ... so this issue is off topic for this thread.

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Parasomnium
Member
Posts: 2224
Joined: 07-15-2003


Message 11 of 46 (46408)
07-18-2003 6:57 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by DC85
07-03-2003 2:18 AM


Re: we are very Rare Creatures
DC85,
What gives you the impression that "intellegent" [sic] is opposed to animaldom? Chimpanzees are intelligent. Dolphins are. Why, even those colourfully feathered, talking dinosaur descendants we call parrots are. It's just a matter of degrees. Or do you perhaps mean "conscious"?
You say, "the Dionsaurs [sic] Had the Planet for around 160 Million Years and its [sic] amazing Something Didn't Evolve."
I'll take that as a sloppy way of saying that something intelligent didn't evolve in the age of the dinosaurs. Now, if we are to believe Mr. Spielberg, at least one of the dinosaur species themselves was pretty high up on the list of smart things. On second thought, I think we'd do well to believe just the experts our friend from Hollywood must have consulted, because he also produced "E.T."
But again, you might also have meant to say that something conscious did not evolve. If so, you have a point, because consciousness (of the type we humans possess) is indeed unique in the animal kingdom, as far as I know.
Cheers.
P.S. Is there a reason for you to use capitals in mid-sentence? It seems like you're heavily into Pooh or something. Which is fine by the way, as long as you don't confuse "issues" with sneezes and Long Words don't Bother you. Anyway, you're forgiven. From the fact that you are a future paleontologist, I take it you are quite young, compared to an old fart like myself.
{Edited to correct a typo, I don't know what possessed me.}
[This message has been edited by Parasomnium, 07-18-2003]

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DC85
Member (Idle past 380 days)
Posts: 876
From: Richmond, Virginia USA
Joined: 05-06-2003


Message 12 of 46 (47047)
07-23-2003 10:49 AM


sorry so long to reply. I have never said Humans are better then other animals as a matter of fact I believe other wise. it just its hard to Explain something without putting ourselves ahead sometimes.
the point I was trying to make is that their is nothing that Compares with Humans we Evolved so differently then anything else. I mean look at dinosaurs(and pre mammals and other creatures) and then Modern animals compare. many seem to resemble and most likely had similar behavior. where we seem to be different then anything else that has evolved. get what I am trying to say?

  
truthlover
Member (Idle past 4060 days)
Posts: 1548
From: Selmer, TN
Joined: 02-12-2003


Message 13 of 46 (47055)
07-23-2003 11:16 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by crashfrog
07-10-2003 4:47 AM


Human civilization has only been around for what, 10,000? Way less than 100 million - way less than 1 million, even.
Seems hardly fair to me. Seems like we've got a little more time left on the meter, if you ask me.
Crash? You're throwing me here. You don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, do you?
Who's this "we" that has a little more time left on the meter? Is it man? If so, then man's been around probably 200,000 years. You're not making civilized man his own species or anything, are you?
That's still a short time, but it's seems pretty objectionable to me to suggest that our meter wasn't running until some humans in the Middle East built a city and started destroying the world. It's possible we had villages in South America 60,000 years ago, and it's certain we had them there 20,000 years ago. Why don't those people count?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by crashfrog, posted 07-10-2003 4:47 AM crashfrog has replied

Replies to this message:
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crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 14 of 46 (47061)
07-23-2003 11:26 AM
Reply to: Message 13 by truthlover
07-23-2003 11:16 AM


Crash? You're throwing me here. You don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, do you?
Uh, lord no. (I sure did, though, once. Legacy of a mis-spent childhood. )
It's possible we had villages in South America 60,000 years ago, and it's certain we had them there 20,000 years ago. Why don't those people count?
They don't count because I'm a crappy historian. By which I mean to say that I picked a number off the top of my head that sounded reasonable. Obviously I was way off.
So, 20,000 years, or even 200,000. Still way less than the dinosaurs.

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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mike the wiz
Member
Posts: 4752
From: u.k
Joined: 05-24-2003


Message 15 of 46 (47088)
07-23-2003 1:36 PM
Reply to: Message 14 by crashfrog
07-23-2003 11:26 AM


'So, 20,000 years, or even 200,000. Still way less than the dinosaurs.'
Yes well, there goes those nice time figures again.Hell why not add another billion years evo's!

This message is a reply to:
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