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To: Fractal Trader

I always have an issue with the date. Was it exactly 34,000 years, not a year before or after? And how was the date arrived at? And lastly but not exclusively, has anyone done the math on canine reproductive rates? We would be overun with canines by now, as well as everything else on earth.

Steely Dan from “Reeling In The Years:”

The weekend at the college
Didn’t turn out like you planned
The things that pass for knowledge
I can’t understand

I can, the college is not after truth.


20 posted on 01/16/2014 9:40:29 PM PST by Fungi
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To: Fungi
We would be overun with canines by now, as well as everything else on earth.

Have you forgotten that it's a dog eat dog world?

30 posted on 01/16/2014 10:53:26 PM PST by null and void (We need to shake this snowglobe up.)
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To: Fungi
I always have an issue with the date. Was it exactly 34,000 years, not a year before or after?

This may help you answer those questions.

And how was the date arrived at?

It's not clear from the article (perhaps an investigation with the original journal article is in order) but one might assume it's from the same genetic study that showed the linkages or perhaps from anthropological knowledge of the relationships of the breeds of dogs used in the study to man in the local regions. Or perhaps a combination of both disciplines. It's a good question though; the answer to that should have been reported, IMO.

And lastly but not exclusively, has anyone done the math on canine reproductive rates? We would be overun with canines by now, as well as everything else on earth.

That same objection has been raised with any animal species that has a moderately fast reproductive rate, but it discounts the fact that all species don't live in a static bubble (or flask of media, like bacteria in a lab).

There are numerous factors that limit the reproductive spread of higher organisms such as: (in no particular order) predation, disease, natural disaster, limited resources and simple old age. For a species to propagate and dominate the environment via logarithmic growth as you seem to propose, and eventually take over the planet, none of the preceding factors could be present. (Especially limited resources)

53 posted on 01/17/2014 7:28:54 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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