[Taxacom] DNA prooves Darwin

[John Grehan]

A few may enjoy the satire below. Some of it may not be apparent as it
relates to Aussie terms and places, but the gist should be obvious. It
comes from a blog at
http://urhomology.blogspot.com/2010/02/darwin-came-from-essex-via-peru-s
ays.html

 

John Grehan


Tuesday, 9 February 2010


Darwin came from Essex (via Peru) says cat's DNA
<http://urhomology.blogspot.com/2010/02/darwin-came-from-essex-via-peru-
says.html>  


>From the Wollongong Herald

The DNA recovered from Charles Darwin's cat has proven that the 19th
century naturalist was descended from South American Indians.

The aspirant Find-an-Ancestor Project uses the DNA from celebrity pets
to map human origins. Tiddles, Charles Darwin's first tabby, is one of
30 exhumed ex-pets. "We'd never thought we'd find Tiddles, or any of the
10 cats Darwin owned during his life" says Prof. Trevor Bruce of the
University of Ulladulla". 

Research funded by the Geelong Anti-ageing Centre tested Tiddle's
preserved DNA and discovered that Darwin's ancestors came from a small
village in present-day Peru. From there they travelled directly to
Essex, possibly via a land bridge made of ice, or by small raft, from
France. "The evidence is astounding" says Prof. Bruce, "it is amazing
how much information one can extrapolate from DNA".

Tests have led scientists to propose the 'Out of Anywhere hypothesis'.
Prof. Bruce explains: "Look, it doesn't matter whose DNA you have,
people just seem to originate anywhere. We had the late Liberace's
budgie examined and found out that 'The Glitter Man' was descended from
Eskimos". 

Further research hopes to discover the centre of origin for all humans.
Dr. Karen Hall hopes that this will herald a new hypothesis.
"Palaeoanthropologists say that humans and apes originated in Africa.
Show me one celebrity with a pet gorilla!"

You can participate in the Find-an-Ancestor Project by sending $120.00
for a 'detection kit'. The kit includes a swab and a shovel for
extracting pet DNA.

 

 

Dr. John R. Grehan

Director of Science and Research

Buffalo Museum of Science

1020 Humboldt Parkway

Buffalo, NY 14211-1193

email: jgrehan at sciencebuff.org

Phone: (716) 896-5200 ext 372
Fax: (716) 897 6723

 

Panbiogeography

http://www.sciencebuff.org/research/current-research-activities/john-gre
han/evolutionary-biography
<http://www.sciencebuff.org/biogeography_and_evolutionary_biology.php> 

Ghost moth research

http://www.sciencebuff.org/research/current-research-activities/john-gre
han/ghost-moths
<http://www.sciencebuff.org/systematics_and_evolution_of_hepialdiae.php>


Human evolution and the great apes

http://www.sciencebuff.org/research/current-research-activities/john-gre
han/human-origins