Red-haired Neandertals

Convergent evolution is a widespread phenomenon that sometimes produces amazing results. I have always been amazed by how closely some Australian and South American marsupials resembled their eutherian (placental) counterparts - dog-like and and cat-like marsupials evolved which bore striking resemblance to “real” members of the dog and cat families. So it really [...]

Visting Lucy in Houston

We took a trip down to Houston this weekend to visit the Lucy exhibition. There had been controversy over the tour, given the irreplaceable nature of the skeleton and its frailty, I figured that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Regardless of whether I thought it a good idea for her to travel or [...]