My Year of Darwin: 8/20/2014 no harmony in nature

"the whole economy of nature, with every fact on distribution, rarity, abundance, extinction, and variation, will be dimly seen or quite misunderstood. We behold the face of nature bright with gladness, we often see superabundance of food; we do not see or we forget, that the birds which are idly singing round us mostly live on insects or seeds, and are thus constantly destroying life; or we forget how largely these songsters, or their eggs, or their nestlings, are destroyed by birds and beasts of prey; we do not always bear in mind that, though food may by now be superabundant, it is not so at all seasons of each recurring year." Charles Darwin, Origin of Species 2nd edition

I am mildly annoyed when I tell people that I'm an ecologist and they then tell me how amazed they are by the harmony in nature. Bullshit. Like the teacher that complained when a Peregrine Falcon ate a goldfinch that we released after catching it. OK. I'm over it (not really).

The other part of this passage that I appreciate it is that provides a nice description of what ecology is. 

My Year of Darwin: 8/19/2014 Survival of the fittest

"I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection, in order to mark its relation to man's power of selection. But the expression often used by Mr. Herbert Spencer of the Survival of the Fittest is more accurate, and is sometimes equally convenient." Darwin, Origin of Species 2nd edition

So Darwin is totally cool with the term Survival of the Fittest. I've seen complaints from creationists that this is a circular definition. That should who survive are the fittest and the fittest are those that survive. What is meant by the term is that those organisms that are good match between their phenotype and the environment are those that are most likely to be represented in future generations. 

Getting in shape sucks

Broke a mile on the first leg. I need to up my frequency. Today I ran but it wiped me out the rest of the day. Vitamins maybe? Or just more coffee.

Super-impressed with my friends that are my age (or older) and run marathons.

Today was 4 miles total. About 60% of that was running with 1.25 miles on the first leg.

My Year of Darwin: 8/18/2014 Darwin does stats

"Now Fries has remarked in regard to plants, and Westwood in regard to insects, that in large genera the amount of differences between the species is often exceedingly small. I have endeavoured to test this numerically by averages, and, as far as my imperfect results go, they confirm the view" Darwin, Origin of Species 2nd edition

I added this passage because this is the first time in the Origin that Darwin does a statistical test - although nothing like a statistical test we use today. Unfortunately, my version does not include a table but I suspect he groups insects as either in large genera with many species and small genera with few species. The lack of a statistical test with p-values is no fault of Darwin - they did not exist until the 1930's. 

And p-values should die (and substituted with Bayesian posterior probs). 

When you look up

We're now in the short period between breeding and migration. Many adult birds are now molting their primaries.  Birds born this year will not be molting but check out the crows and vultures and they should be missing feathers on the wing and tail.
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I've taken a two month mental break. I have editorial duties to finish as well as my own major revisions to deal with. Not to mention updating our sophomore level labs.  Awesome. Bring it on! 

My Year of Darwin: 8/17/2014 Here's a Ph.D. project...

"Hence it is the most flourishing, or, as they may be called the dominant species , those which range widely, are the most diffused in their own country, and are the most numerous in individuals, - which oftenest produce well-marked varieties, or, as I consider them, incipient species" Darwin, Origin of Species 2nd edition

 I wish I knew the literature more thoroughly because I wonder if this has been tested. I certainly is a logical hypothesis with a clear prediction. My problem is the nitty gritty details of quantifying varieties and how much of it has come down to the whim of the taxonomist. Since the evolutionary species concept has been gaining ground there has been a tendency to split species. For example the recent split in Canada Geese and Clapper Rail come to mind. A species that should be examined is my dear song sparrow - which fits very nicely into Darwin's criteria above. 

Also of note, I wonder if Darwin came up with incipient species. I assumed this came after him but here it is in Origin. 

My Year of Darwin: 8/16/2014 Speciation by degrees

"I look at varieties which are in any degree more distinct and permanent, as steps towards more strongly-marked and permanent varieties; and at the latter, as leading to subspecies, and then to species" Darwin, Origin of Species 2nd edition

I'm wondering if he's thinking of a population that's going through this or two separate species or it it even matters.