Enthusiasm for Evolution; it’s sexier than you think

Evolution is change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms from one generation to the next OR the change in allele frequencies within a population of organisms through time.

If you’re not familiar with the processes involved in evolution, go ahead and wiki it. It’s understandable that one might be offended by the idea of humans evolving from apes, or troubled by the reality that Jesus did not ride a brontosaurus side saddle.

That’s fair enough. But whether or not you believe evolution to be real, you must realize that there is tremendous support for the idea* (scientists believe it to be an observable fact), and it has greater implications than just explaining who our ancestors were.**

I’m not here to challenge your convictions, though. I wanted to share with you an interesting example of a relationship that has evolved between two types of organisms…species of “sexually deceptive” orchids and their pollinators (usually wasps or bees).

Many species of the diverse Orchid family utilize interspecific mimicry to attract insect pollinators. Interspecific mimicry involves the imitation of one organisms visual, tactile or olfactory cues by another, very different, species of organisms (more on mimicry). In the example of “sexually deceptive” orchids, the orchid has a petal that is similar in shape and/or color to a female wasp or bee. Check out the orchid Drakaea glyptodon next to the female Z. trilobatus wasp.

Also, the orchid smells like a female wasp ready to mate. The appearance and smell of these orchids leads the male insect to perform “pseudocopulation” with the flower. Yeah, that words means what you think it means. The male insect tries to get busy with the flower because he’s mistaken it for his mate. This is the orchid’s method of pollination. That’s what is happening here with the orchid Chilogottis trapeziformis and it’s wasp pollinator. ***

So what does evolution have to do with this relationship? Through mutations of the genes that produce scent in these orchid species, after several generations, these orchids began to smell more like female insects. Natural selection was involved here as male wasps preferred, and more frequently pollinated, the orchids that smelled like their mates. These orchids produced more seeds, and passed on their scent genes to the next generation, who passed it on again. Survival of the smelliest!

The orchids became so sexually attractive to the male insects that they no longer produce food as a reward to their pollinators, saving themselves a little energy. However, this means that the orchids have to keep up with changes in the scent of their insect pollinators, as they are evolving too. Genetic mutations must occur within the orchids at a rate comparable to the wasps, or else they won’t be so sexy anymore. This is what’s called an evolutionary arms race. Sound pretty complicated? It is. Does it make you appreciate how random, unpredictable and creative evolutionary processes can be? I hope so!

*For example, Peter and Rosemary Grant of Princeton University have collected solid evidence that evolution of beak size and shape is occurring in populations of finches on the Galapagos islands within a few generations.

** It can dictate who lives and who goes extinct as the climate changes, as organisms are exposed to pollution, whether or not a shark can defeat an alligator in a fight, etc.

***For the nerdiest of readers: chemical analysis was performed on the scent of the female insects ready to mate and the orchid’s bouquet. It revealed that sexually deceptive orchids produce the same chemical compounds that make up sex pheromones of these female insects, thus explaining why these orchids inspired the males to try to copulate with them.

For the most immature of readers: these orchids smell like sex!

It’s been a good week…

You can listen to the speech again here.

Relieving stress and staying an enthusiast

I have a job that I like very much but is crazy crazy stressful at times. The short version: my whole job is about talking with and visiting people, and then talking to other people about the visits and talks we had. Then I talk to the people I visit about the people I talked to them about. Then I have to write notes and reports about my talks and visits. Now, a good percentage of the people I talk to are lovely. But given that my job is talking and listening to people I have it on good authority that people are CRAZY. Which leads us to today’s blog about relieving stress.

My punching bag.

At the moment I’m trying to get back into using my punching bag a minimum of 15 minutes a day (or 14, or 10 or 5). If someone drives you crazy about something dumb, I find that punching and kicking a bag is generally a better option than that person. About 10 minutes is usually is enough to make you realize how preposturous it was that you were angry in the first place. I got mine on craigslist, but kickboxing classes are also fun. Just check to ensure they have bags and you’re not just punching the air (not as satisfying). Added bonus: good workout.

Dog and Bunny

The new way I am dealing with people being nuts is practicing my more difficult conversations with Dog and Bunny.  Dog and Bunny listen calmly when I reason with them.  Reasoning with them in a funny voice also tends to be a great stress reliever. When people call and yell at me on the phone, sometimes I can pretend that bunny is yelling instead.  And that is adorable.

I highly recommend this. It has some obvious pros in that it takes much less space than a punching bag and you can keep stuffed animals in your office (depending on where you work). This has the obvious con that people will think you are crazy if you tell them about it. In my professional opinion the therapeutic and comedic benefits of this are so great that you should ignore them. Or keep your office door shut.

When all else fails come home and watch some Degrassi-ridiculousness….

Obviously you can engage in more traditional stress relief like journaling, making a stress ball out of a balloon, playing with your many guitars, watching 90210, crafting, etc.

New Year’s Resolution Enthusiasm

Having already reviewed 2008 in all its greatness (or not*), its resolution time. Here’s one that I’m feeling particularly enthusiastic about:

“On days that I can’t exercise I plan on dancing around my apartment for 15 minutes.”
–Kiri

I think that this should be everyone’s resolution this year. It could quite possibly make for happier people. Don’t worry if you are dancing by yourself. I’m betting by the 5th time you do it, you won’t feel dumb.

P.S. My resolution is to blog more.  Feel free to leave your resolutions….

*If 2008 was filled with bad karma, I hear that  burning sage and sprinkling salt water will fix you right up.  This is also good for getting rid of ghosts.