Saturday, January 30, 2010
Grumpy old man
Astonishing article in yesterday's Daily Telegraph concerning new research conclusions that grumpiness could be a sign of being higher up the evolutionary ladder than people who are easy-going.
They say that researchers have provided scientific weight to the writer George Bernhard Shaw's famous saying that "all progress depends on the unreasonable man".
They looked at two different kinds of monkey – the familiar chimpanzee and the less evolved but much more easy going bonobo, two of the closest living relatives to human beings.
Chimpanzees are accepted as more evolved than bonobos in terms of physical appearance, behaviour and social structure.
But chimps are also much more aggressive, particularly as they get older, when they become less tolerant of each other, share less and show more signs of violence to others.
Adult bonobos, on the other hand, are more Peter Pan-like. They retain the same levels of playfulness and behaviour they showed as juveniles, said the research by Harvard University for the online journal Current Biology.
The two types of ape are very close to each other, genetically, but the clear differences are believed to be down to simple evolution, said lead researcher Victoria Wobber.
I am fairly sceptical as to whether research on the socialisation of chimpanzees can apply to human beings but then I am not a scientist. Nevertheless, if I do come across as a bit grumpy today I will immediately point to this research as my justifiation rather than the fact that today is my 50th birthday. I am just going to think of it as 49 plus one.
They say that researchers have provided scientific weight to the writer George Bernhard Shaw's famous saying that "all progress depends on the unreasonable man".
They looked at two different kinds of monkey – the familiar chimpanzee and the less evolved but much more easy going bonobo, two of the closest living relatives to human beings.
Chimpanzees are accepted as more evolved than bonobos in terms of physical appearance, behaviour and social structure.
But chimps are also much more aggressive, particularly as they get older, when they become less tolerant of each other, share less and show more signs of violence to others.
Adult bonobos, on the other hand, are more Peter Pan-like. They retain the same levels of playfulness and behaviour they showed as juveniles, said the research by Harvard University for the online journal Current Biology.
The two types of ape are very close to each other, genetically, but the clear differences are believed to be down to simple evolution, said lead researcher Victoria Wobber.
I am fairly sceptical as to whether research on the socialisation of chimpanzees can apply to human beings but then I am not a scientist. Nevertheless, if I do come across as a bit grumpy today I will immediately point to this research as my justifiation rather than the fact that today is my 50th birthday. I am just going to think of it as 49 plus one.
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Huh! I've seen some crafty ways of attracting birthday greetings, but this must be the most devious. ;-)
- Grumpy old Frank
- Grumpy old Frank
grumpiness could be a sign of being higher up the evolutionary ladder
Rubbish! You were created as more of a grump than than I ever was :-)
Happy Birthday - MOF
Rubbish! You were created as more of a grump than than I ever was :-)
Happy Birthday - MOF
Do not be a slave to base 10 - I'm now 3f and will be 3g a week on Monday.
Amazing how many people I know were born within a few weeks of each other.
Amazing how many people I know were born within a few weeks of each other.
I'm able to travel anywhere on Arriva Trains for £15 from today.
You only have five years to wait, kid!
Happy b'day from Syniadau.
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You only have five years to wait, kid!
Happy b'day from Syniadau.
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