Darwin's "Origin of Species" | Respect

On November 24, 1859, English naturalist and geologist Charles Robert Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. This work is considered the foundation of evolutionary biology.

It is difficult to imagine a world prior to the theory of evolution. At the same time, I'm surprised at the number of people that don't necessarily understand "how" evolution works. Here's an excellent video that explains the process of evolution, from the fine folks over at Stated Clearly.

Dossier C | Neandertals

Human evolution has always been a fascination -- here are news items I've collected about our closest evolutionary siblings.



Cultural or Technological Advancement: Independent Tool Development. [BBC]
Genetics: Genome Mapping. [wired] [NatlGeo]
Interbreeding: Are we related? Yes! [BBC] [CBC] [NatlGeo]
Theory of extinction: Volcanoes! [NatlGeo]
Theory of extinction: Music! [NatlGeo]
Theory of extinction: Devoured! [guardian.uk]
Interspecies Interaction: Murder! [NatlGeo]
Tidbits: Top 10 Misconceptions. [ListVerse]

And collected tidbits relating to humanoid evolution.

Basic Building Blocks: All species evolved from a single cell. [NatlGeo]
Expansion: Interactive slideshow depicting expansion of humanity. [BradshawFoundation]
Dirt-Digging: Oldest Human Skeleton Found. [NatlGeo]
New Hominin Cousin: X-Woman. [BBC]
New Hominin Cousin: Spain. [NatlGeo]
New Hominin Cousin: "Ida". [CBC]
Hominin Cousin Update: "Ida" distant kin, not ancestor. [CBC] [NatlGeo]
Hominin Cousin Update: Orangutans may be closer relatives than Chimps. [NatlGeo]

And collected tidbits relating to "Stone Age" developments.

Cultural or Technological Advancement: Early Tool Use. [NatlGeo]
Cultural or Technological Advancement: Language (as seen through modern primates). [NatlGeo]
Cultural or Technological Advancement: Music! [nyt]
Cultural or Technological Advancement: Super-Glue! [NatlGeo]
Cultural or Technological Advancement: Compassion. [wired]
Threats and Troubles: Becoming Dinner! [NatlGeo]