pratt@vanhalen.rutgers.edu.UUCP (09/24/87)
Hmm...Just now on my way past our "Stern Physics Laboratory" here at Rutgers, within the space of 30 seconds I found one 4- and two 5-leaved clovers. This got me to thinking about how once somebody told me that such mutations (?) were evidence of impurities in the environment, perhaps radiation. Is this true? I know that we can conclude a lot about the environment from studying animal populations. Is there any evidence that a layman can recognize (like these clovers perhaps) for environmental disturbances? Musingly, Lorien Pratt pratt@paul.rutgers.edu
brothers@who.rutgers.edu.UUCP (09/24/87)
Mutations might be caused by mutagens or other chemicals which would damage a cell's genetic information. But things like cosmic rays, background radiation, etc. could have the same effect, as could some random fluke of chemical bonding during mitosis. Some scientists have some pretty weird sounding theories about "evolutionary leaps", etc. which I don't really subscribe to. On the other hand, I think it probably has something to do with Reaganomics, or maybe Albanian Maoism/Stalinism is to blame. -- Laurence R. Brothers brothers@paul.rutgers.edu {anywhere}!rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!brothers "One life -- one arrow."
carroll@topaz.rutgers.edu.UUCP (09/24/87)
>Some scientists have some pretty weird sounding theories about >"evolutionary leaps", etc. which I don't really subscribe to. Hey, well, that settles it for me. If Laurence doesn't subscribe to it, it *must* be false. -- martin
palmer@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP (09/25/87)
In article <1341@vanhalen.rutgers.edu> pratt@vanhalen.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) writes: >Hmm...Just now on my way past our "Stern Physics Laboratory" here at >Rutgers, within the space of 30 seconds I found one 4- and two 5-leaved >clovers. This got me to thinking about how once somebody told me that >such mutations (?) were evidence of impurities in the environment, >perhaps radiation. Is this true? I know that we can conclude a lot >about the environment from studying animal populations. Is there any >evidence that a layman can recognize (like these clovers perhaps) >for environmental disturbances? The existence of multiple 4-leafed clovers may mean that at one time there was a single 4-leafed clover in that spot, and it reproduced. I once found a patch with literally hundreds of four and five leaf clovers in a few square meters. If, however, you find a bunch of four-leaf clovers, and a two headed dog, and a giant ant, and a fire breathing dinosaur, all in the same place, worry. David Palmer palmer@tybalt.caltech.edu ...rutgers!cit-vax!tybalt.caltech.edu!palmer The opinions expressed are those of an 8000 year old Atlantuan priestess named Mrla, and not necessarily those of her channel.
leeds@cfa250.harvard.EDU (Paul Martenis) (09/28/87)
in article <4066@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>, palmer@tybalt.caltech.edu (David Palmer) says: > In article <1341@vanhalen.rutgers.edu> pratt@vanhalen.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) writes: >>Hmm...Just now on my way past our "Stern Physics Laboratory" here at >>Rutgers, within the space of 30 seconds I found one 4- and two 5-leaved >>clovers. This got me to thinking about how once somebody told me that >>such mutations (?) were evidence of impurities in the environment, >>perhaps radiation. Is this true? I know that we can conclude a lot >>about the environment from studying animal populations. Is there any >>evidence that a layman can recognize (like these clovers perhaps) >>for environmental disturbances? > > The existence of multiple 4-leafed clovers may mean that at one time > there was a single 4-leafed clover in that spot, and it reproduced. > I once found a patch with literally hundreds of four and five leaf > clovers in a few square meters. My dad grew up on a farm in Maryland (c. 1940) where he says he used to find handfuls of four-leafed clovers. Given the time, I don't think it was due to human tampering. -- - Paul Martenis Cambridge, MA
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (09/30/87)
In article <628@cfa203.cfa250.harvard.EDU> leeds@cfa250.harvard.EDU (Paul Martenis) writes: >in article <4066@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>, palmer@tybalt.caltech.edu (David Palmer) says: >> The existence of multiple 4-leafed clovers may mean that at one time >> there was a single 4-leafed clover in that spot, and it reproduced. >> I once found a patch with literally hundreds of four and five leaf >> clovers in a few square meters. > >My dad grew up on a farm in Maryland (c. 1940) where he says he used to find >handfuls of four-leafed clovers. Given the time, I don't think it was due to >human tampering. >-- Ok, what about cats ? I was at my brother in laws house and there was a white momma cat with 7 toes on each foot. Sort of like an extra half foot growing out the inside of the paw. She had 3 kittens there, 2 tigerstriped ones and a white one. The white kitten (only) also had 7 toes on each foot in precisely the same manner. Another tragic story of an unwed mother in the inner city. > - Paul Martenis -- Richard J. Sexton INTERNET: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard "It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition..."
jnp@calmasd.UUCP (10/02/87)
(Richard Sexton) writes: > I was at my brother in laws house and there was a white momma cat with > 7 toes on each foot. Sort of like an extra half foot growing out the inside > of the paw. Polydactyly (many (too many) "fingers") is a common "deformity" among some breeds of cat. Sorry, don't know which breed. In fact, it's not all that uncommon among humans either. -- These opinions are solely mine and in no way reflect those of my employer. John M. Pantone @ GE/Calma R&D, Data Management Group, San Diego ...{ucbvax|decvax}!sdcsvax!calmasd!jnp jnp@calmasd.GE.COM