Philosophy
When it comes to uniqueness in animals, giraffes really seem to stand out on a category all their own. The striking thing, though, is that their anatomy, odd as it may seem to us, is simply a modification of the same basic body plan all mammals, humans included, share. This, of course, is to be expected as a basic prediction of evolutionary theory, but it's still a remarkable thing to observe.
Today's documentary investigates the selection pressures that have driven the evolution of giraffes, as well as the anatomical and physiological solutions they have developed to cope with the stringent demands imposed by their impressive height.
If you've ever asked yourself how giraffes manage to keep their necks up on an angle without getting exhausted, how they manage to successfully circulate blood throughout their tall bodies, or what kinds of functions their patches fulfill, then you've come to the right place. You'll also learn why they are essential to space research and exploration :)
The dissection, as you will see, also reveals the redundancy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, one of those quirks of evolutionary history that could not reasonably be explained through the assumption of intelligent design. Richard Dawkins explains (and he also reflects on this experience in his latest book, The Greatest Show on Earth).
If that's not enough for you, you might want to check out the episode on elephants.
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- Because Y Is A Crooked Letter
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- Week Three: Biological Philosophy
TEXT: DARWIN'S DNA Natural selection works because of variations among organic life. The variations allow humans to have advantages over others. For example, during flu season, thousands of people die from flu symptoms. However, thousands of others...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Camel
I've never thought much of camels, what with their lenky legs, their weird humps and simultaneously pretentious and dumb-looking ruminant mouths, I never thought these were interesting animals, but watching this documentary about them absolutely blew...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Big Cats
Their loud and guttural roars can send chills up and down your spine, even from great distances. If they're running for you, and you're not protected by some sort of fence, you're dinner. If giraffes, crocodiles, zebras, wildebeests and elephants...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Whale
In the previous episodes of the Inside Nature's Giants documentary series, you've seen the dissection of an elephant, a crocodile and a giraffe, but this series couldn't be complete without an exploration of the largest animal of all: the...
Philosophy
Inside Nature's Giants - Giraffe
When it comes to uniqueness in animals, giraffes really seem to stand out on a category all their own. The striking thing, though, is that their anatomy, odd as it may seem to us, is simply a modification of the same basic body plan all mammals, humans included, share. This, of course, is to be expected as a basic prediction of evolutionary theory, but it's still a remarkable thing to observe.Today's documentary investigates the selection pressures that have driven the evolution of giraffes, as well as the anatomical and physiological solutions they have developed to cope with the stringent demands imposed by their impressive height.
If you've ever asked yourself how giraffes manage to keep their necks up on an angle without getting exhausted, how they manage to successfully circulate blood throughout their tall bodies, or what kinds of functions their patches fulfill, then you've come to the right place. You'll also learn why they are essential to space research and exploration :)
The dissection, as you will see, also reveals the redundancy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, one of those quirks of evolutionary history that could not reasonably be explained through the assumption of intelligent design. Richard Dawkins explains (and he also reflects on this experience in his latest book, The Greatest Show on Earth).
If that's not enough for you, you might want to check out the episode on elephants.
.
- Because Y Is A Crooked Letter
From Phil: ?I maintain there are, in fact, no such things as 'why's, just 'how's. Or to put it another way, all 'why' questions are meaningless. So as a challenge I would ask: Are there any 'why's??Good thing you brought...
- Week Three: Biological Philosophy
TEXT: DARWIN'S DNA Natural selection works because of variations among organic life. The variations allow humans to have advantages over others. For example, during flu season, thousands of people die from flu symptoms. However, thousands of others...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Camel
I've never thought much of camels, what with their lenky legs, their weird humps and simultaneously pretentious and dumb-looking ruminant mouths, I never thought these were interesting animals, but watching this documentary about them absolutely blew...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Big Cats
Their loud and guttural roars can send chills up and down your spine, even from great distances. If they're running for you, and you're not protected by some sort of fence, you're dinner. If giraffes, crocodiles, zebras, wildebeests and elephants...
- Inside Nature's Giants - The Whale
In the previous episodes of the Inside Nature's Giants documentary series, you've seen the dissection of an elephant, a crocodile and a giraffe, but this series couldn't be complete without an exploration of the largest animal of all: the...