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Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head. [W:86]

Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

ethanUNC said:
OP, I think your hypothesis is absurd. I could not access the National Geographic article, but I read the Science Daily one on the same thing. The hypotheses presented in the article were much better. You fail to grasp how evolution occurs: "Now as a response to gravity disturbances you are developing a larger head." You seem to be suggesting that these "gravity disturbances" are so large (when they are in fact microscopic) that it is affecting the rate of survival of the human species such that rate of survival increases with increased skull volume.
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Yes it is my proposal. It might be. What flaws do you find in it?
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

SBu said:
Brain-eating aliens have begun their genetic modification of their human brain crop. Bigger brains = more eating. Basically, it will address the disparity between exploding alien brain-eating population and the supply of (size of) human brains available for consumption. Supply and demand, really.
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Great. Now we know two things. We know the fate of the disappeared and how much the demand of the brain eating aliens is. At this rate it could be managed.

Since it is so little the aliens demand then it would help with the unwanted anti social people too (since they are a minority)! We could respond with a "Behave or of to be eaten from aliens you go!" The method helped with the primitive tribes, I do not see why it should help in modern times also.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

Brain eating aliens could be a good thing if they prefer brains that have never been used.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
Yes it is my proposal. It might be. What flaws do you find in it?
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That has no affect on human suitability. Natural selection doesn't occur very much in human populations except in instances such as the hetergenous sickle-cell anemia trait developing in humans to prevent malaria.

You're under the same flawed assumption that people are who think our brains are growing larger through natural selection.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

ethanUNC said:
That has no affect on human suitability. Natural selection doesn't occur very much in human populations except in instances such as the hetergenous sickle-cell anemia trait developing in humans to prevent malaria.

You're under the same flawed assumption that people are who think our brains are growing larger through natural selection.
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Natural selection was thrown out the window at the invention of beer. Yes, I'm using the term improperly, but it's funny.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

Dittohead not! said:
Brain eating aliens could be a good thing if they prefer brains that have never been used.
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Dang, then ProgLibs better enjoy their moment in the sun because it would seem the future looks like, well, dinner...
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

ethanUNC said:
That has no affect on human suitability. Natural selection doesn't occur very much in human populations except in instances such as the hetergenous sickle-cell anemia trait developing in humans to prevent malaria.
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Are you saying that evolution has stopped for humans?
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
Are you saying that evolution has stopped for humans?
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No. Evolution can still happen by genetic drift, founder effect, and chromosomal mixing. It can also happen by natural selection in instances such as the sickle-cell trait heterogenous trait being favored in Africans to protect them from malaria. You seem to have no concept of what natural selection is, though. In order for natural selection to happen, humans with favored alleles would have to have increased survival rates such that they survive more often and reproduce, and those without the alleles die off. Natural selection can't just make humans more intelligent over time because intelligence benefits us.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

ethanUNC said:
No. Evolution can still happen by genetic drift, founder effect, and chromosomal mixing. It can also happen by natural selection in instances such as the sickle-cell trait heterogenous trait being favored in Africans to protect them from malaria. You seem to have no concept of what natural selection is, though. In order for natural selection to happen, humans with favored alleles would have to have increased survival rates such that they survive more often and reproduce, and those without the alleles die off. Natural selection can't just make humans more intelligent over time because intelligence benefits us.
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Natural selection also takes place when certain traits lead to increased reproduction.
so, intelligence may not necessarily be a selected trait. In fact, well, ever see the movie "Idiocracy"?
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
Now as a response to gravity disturbances you are developing a larger head.
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why would an organsim respond to increased gravity by developing a larger (ie more mass to hold up) head? and wouldn't increased gravity also lead to a decrease in height? The average height for a male in the US is only slightly lower than that of Europeans (and it would be the same or higher if it were not for all the 5'7" hispanics lowering the average)
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

Dittohead not! said:
Natural selection also takes place when certain traits lead to increased reproduction.
so, intelligence may not necessarily be a selected trait. In fact, well, ever see the movie "Idiocracy"?
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Developing a larger head would not lead to increased reproduction, and that has nothing to do with the OP's claim. What you wrote is entirely irrelevant.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

ethanUNC said:
Developing a larger head would not lead to increased reproduction, and that has nothing to do with the OP's claim. What you wrote is entirely irrelevant.
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It might if females liked males with larger heads. That's how peacocks evolved such showy tails, after all.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

Fenton said:
Cats have around 160 million more neurons than dogs.

Why can't they be trained as easily ?

From the look my cat gives me when I tell her to get off the couch or go outside I can surmise she's thinking " yea sure, when I damn well please ".
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That is why I like my cat.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

ethanUNC said:
Natural selection can't just make humans more intelligent over time because intelligence benefits us.
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So why is intelligence increasing by each generation due to the Flynn effect nevertheless then?

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045300836.html

Also, do not address me at all while debating this issue. Ever heard of "ad hominem" fallacy in a debate?

Stick to the issues and leave personal comments aside. There is a Basement for those after all.
 
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Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

OscarB63 said:
why would an organsim respond to increased gravity by developing a larger (ie more mass to hold up) head? and wouldn't increased gravity also lead to a decrease in height? The average height for a male in the US is only slightly lower than that of Europeans (and it would be the same or higher if it were not for all the 5'7" hispanics lowering the average)
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I am not studying this issue so as to answer it with full support of findings. We are debating possibilities here and criticizing each others statements.

But what I was thinking out of the blue is that perhaps as former Europeans you would tend to grow taller. But since gravity pulls you down more then it would force one part of the head to grow taller and the other part to be pulled down more. The in between area would be then filled in with bone and there you are.

We are exploring at this moment. Hence I am growing averse to Ethan's approach into a debate. He is kinda taking it personally with me (i.e., whether I know concepts well enough or not) rather than the issue.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
So why is intelligence increasing by each generation due to the Flynn effect nevertheless then?

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045300836.html

Also, do not address me at all while debating this issue. Ever heard of "ad hominem" fallacy in a debate?

Stick to the issues and leave personal comments aside. There is a Basement for those after all.
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No one knows, but evolution isn't one of them.
Flynn effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do you concede your initial theory now?
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
Interesting approach Longview. But how were we left with North Americans with greater heads then? Are you suggesting that babies with even larger heads did not survive than this?
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I am thinking in most parts of the world, Doctors will do a cesarean when absolutely necessary,
Whereas in the US they will do one because they don't want to miss their golf tee time, and it pays better anyway.
But mine is really just a guess as to what might throw off the statistics.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

longview said:
I am thinking in most parts of the world, Doctors will do a cesarean when absolutely necessary,
Whereas in the US they will do one because they don't want to miss their golf tee time, and it pays better anyway.
But mine is really just a guess as to what might throw off the statistics.
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Do not worry Longview. We are guessing just as well for no one really knows ;)

Thank you for your contribution. Should you have more ideas then this is the place for it.

Cheers.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

Natural Tin foil coating to block out the mind control rays. Its due to the flouride in our water.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
I am not studying this issue so as to answer it with full support of findings. We are debating possibilities here and criticizing each others statements.

But what I was thinking out of the blue is that perhaps as former Europeans you would tend to grow taller. But since gravity pulls you down more then it would force one part of the head to grow taller and the other part to be pulled down more. The in between area would be then filled in with bone and there you are.

We are exploring at this moment. Hence I am growing averse to Ethan's approach into a debate. He is kinda taking it personally with me (i.e., whether I know concepts well enough or not) rather than the issue.
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I just don't see any plausible mechanism for how increased gravity would lead to the evolution of a larger head.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
Perhaps "adaptation" should have been a more proper word. My proposal holds but instead of "evolution" it should be "adaptation" then.
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What do you mean by adaptation? Are you saying that INDIVIDUALS evolve? I think you need to take a genetics or evolutionary biology class, because you are far off the mark.
 
Re: Proposal as to why North Americans have developed a larger head.

DDD said:
Interesting approach Longview. But how were we left with North Americans with greater heads then? Are you suggesting that babies with even larger heads did not survive than this?
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His suggestion does make sense. If babies with overly large heads have a higher survival rate due to more cesarean sections, then they will be more likely to pass the large head genes on to their descendants.
 
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