If you didn't get to it you missed a great talk by Dr. Neil Shubin Professor of Anatomy at the University of Chicago here at MSU. He talked about how paleontologist decide where to look for fossils and how the process is done. He showed pictures of his expeditions to the Canadian Arctic. Then he put it all together of what his famous find of Tiktaalik means in the flow of evolution. How knowing the evolution explains some very difficult questions of why is there 3 bones in the middle ear of people. Why does the recurrent laryngeal nerve dip down into the chest and go back to the larynx. And a host of other seemingly goofy anatomical structures that a real designer would not have done, but evolution does do. Evolution is a tinkerer. It uses what is already there and makes it fit new purposes. Dr. Shubin brought a cast of the head of Tiktaalik and I got to hold it and examine it. What a thrill. Then we all went for a nice little after talk drink. I had to have diet soda as I also working tonight. This has been a great Darwin day event. More Friday at MSU, so check with them there.
Peace Skeptical DoDo
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