Man and bird have similar brains

Carol Forsloff - Scientists discovered man and bird have a commonality.  While humans consider themselves significantly advanced over the animal kingdom, it turns out that the brain is very much like that of birds.

And actually the human brain is not that much different from many other animals as well.

Man tries to outwit others, and surely birds find their way home along vast reaches of the world.  Is that because of the brain and at least the ability to track oneself in time and space?

What University of California researchers found a few years ago is that the brains of birds and the auditory inputs in chickens are similar to that of humans and other mammals.

“And so ends, perhaps, this claim of mammalian uniqueness,” said Harvey J. Karten, MD, professor in the Department of Neurosciences at UCSD’s School of Medicine, and lead author of the study, that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition.

Man and other mammals are often thought to have better-developed brains, but this new research raises questions about that.

The findings indicate that certain properties of the brain are not unique to mammals and may actually have evolved from ancient vertebrates.  This may be another piece of evidence regarding the theory of evolution conceived by Darwin.  Some might ponder whether or not man's evolution from other creatures might have occurred.  Before these findings most people thought it was clear that man was of a far higher order than the animals of the earth, specifically because of the complexity of man's brain.

“Animals like birds were viewed as lovely automata capable only of stereotyped activity,”said Karten.

So what is different now?

Karten’s research supplies the beginnings of an answer, which is said to be from an ancestor common to both mammals and birds that dates back at least 300 million years.

The new research has a number of implications, allowing the notion of bird brains as suitable models in diverse brain studies and also in establishing connections in the study of evolution of species.

In 2003 scientific research revealed that man and birds have similar shopping habits.  They display similar patterns when they search for food.

And as man continues to study the bird, perhaps that old adage of being a birdbrain might not be considered an insult after all.  One might also wonder how the female bird signals to the male it's time to shop and whether or not the result of that shopping impresses the male bird any better than it does the human male.

Creationism remains alive, well and ranks above evolution in Christendom

Charles Darwin, scientist of thesis, theory of evolution

More than one hundred fifty years ago, Charles Darwin published his thesis regarding the creation and evolution of the world, with the far-reaching theory of evolution.  Yet despite the number of years that have past, and the number of people who have advanced the theory of evolution through continuing research and scientific assessments of all kinds, there remain many people who don't believe in evolution but prefer the literal Biblical interpretation or creationism .

Despite the famous Scopes trial, where the theory of evolution and the notions of creationism met head to head in a courtroom, the fundamentalist view of how the world was created remains just as it was in 1925.  The trial "starred" William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow as opposing attorneys.  Both were famous men, known for their oratory and strong political and social opinions.

Bryan was a third-time Presidential nominee, former Secretary of State and life-long Presbyterian with strong religious views.  He was the hero of the creationists at the Scopes trial, while Clarence Darrow, an agnostic, defended the young teacher, who had been accused of violating the Butler Act, a law in Tennessee which held that it was unlawful to teach the new theory of evolution that had been put forth by Darwin.

The Scopes trial attracted a great deal of publicity, as it pitched the modernists against the creationists.  Scopes lost his case and was found guilty, although he was only fined $100, yet the verdict was subsequently overturned on a technicality.  Despite the issues surrounding the trial, and the many articles, books and screenplays that have been written about the famous trial, there remain many people who are still unconvinced that evolution is a viable theory.

Much of the passion for creationism arose from the publication of a book written by a conservative Christian John Whitcomb and Bible teacher, Henry M. Morris in 1961.  Subsequently a number of anti-evolution books were written and the more famous book called The Genesis Flood,  by Whitcomb and Morris.  Morris went on afterward to put together an Institute for Creation Research that has advanced the continuing criticism of the theory of evolution while extolling the values put forth by creationism.  There is also a Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky founded by evangelist Ken Ham.

While there are many who believe in creationism, it depends on the particular religious community one belongs to as to whether or not a believer holds the fundamentalist view or a mixed perspective that combines evolution and creationism.  The Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons are reported to be the ones who hold the creationism view in high percentages.  On the other hand, Unity Church, the Presbyterians and the Episcopalians as well as others believe that whereas man was created by God, the creation took place by some intelligent design that could have lasted millions of years as opposed to a few thousand years.

The Pew Forum surveyed Americans and found more than 60% believe in some form of creationism.  Yet despite the fact that the believers of creationism are numerous and encompass many Christian groups, this particular belief has not been accepted as part of scientific theories or beliefs, in spite of the fact there are places in the United States that holds creationism as a theory on par with evolution and therefore worthy of inclusion in the science curriculum.  Texas is one of those states that made this part of law, as did Louisiana.  In fact schoolchildren in the charter schools find their texts proclaim evolution merely as an unproven theory.  Some of the workbooks declare scientists themselves are unsure of the theory of evolution.