New research shows life on Earth originated on Mars

Evidence is mounting that we are all Martians. 

According to new research presented at the annual Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Florence, there is compelling evidence that life on Earth was kick-started by a meteorite from Mars bearing simple, RNA-based organisms. Furthermore, the same research also indicates that the ancient, primordial surface of Earth would’ve been inhospitable to the formation of the building blocks of life (RNA, DNA, and proteins) — therefore, the only way that life could’ve begun more than three billion years ago is if it arrived here from Mars.

MORE HERE 

The evolution of agriculture is responsible for the development of property rights

Current Biology has published an article that puts forward the theory, with convincing evidence, that the evolution of homo sapiens from foragers/hunter-gatherers to agricultural based civilizations is the main factor in the development of what we now look at as Property Rights:

"To test this hypothesis, Bowles and Choi developed a model that incorporates population dynamics, climate variability, different approaches to food provision, and different approaches to property sharing. Model runs showed that overall the transition to farming is an unlikely one and only succeeds under a small range of conditions. In all successful simulated transitions, the model showed that the property rights among farming populations co-evolved with the introduction of farming methods."

Read the entire fascinating article here at CURRENT BIOLOGY

And from the exciting world of marine biology, scientists think evolution has given giant squids excellent eyesight.

The streamlined giant squid (various species of Architeuthis) and the much chunkier colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) can both grow to more than 10m long, as measured from the tip of the body to the end of their tentacles.

The colossal squid especially is equipped with a fearsome arsenal of weapons, including barbed swivelling hooks.

Scars on whale believed to have been caused by Giant Squids

Scars on the bodies of sperm whales indicate that they regularly do battle with the colossal squid, at least in the Southern Hemisphere waters where it lives.

And the number of colossal squid beaks found in the stomachs of sperm whales indicate that the latter often win.

Though colossal squid are encountered remarkably rarely by people, they are thought to make up about three-quarters of sperm whales' diet in the Southern Ocean.

Whereas the whales can spot squid using sonar, the squid can deploy nothing except vision - which suggests there would be a powerful evolutionary pressure towards developing effective eyes.


More at BBC News

SPECIAL UNDERSEA BONUS: Octopus uses coconut shell as protective shelter-

Researchers at McGill create Super Soldier Ants

Great. Maybe next they can create mosquitoes that can suck a pint of blood in one go.

But seriously, it's an important discovery that provides more clues about evolution.

Now please don't invent super termites or sabre-toothed squirrels.

Conclusive proof humans are not descended from apes

Or not...

(Warning: graphic, disturbing imagery in video)



h/t Bare Naked Islam

Satan lures the child of idiot mom with dino-toys

A mother is concerned that the gift of dinosaur toys may turn her son into a devil-worshiping believer of the heresy of evolution:

"I know that Satan tries to trick us in many ways, and this is one way that he tries to fool man into believing that there isn’t a God who created the universe. How can they be bones when they are made out of ROCKS? I told my son that dinosaurs are one of Satan’s many ways of tricking man, and he must talk to God before he plays with them."

NFB animation to get your weekend started

Some classics from the National Film Board of Canada..

The music from Ryan Larkin's Walking makes this groundbreaking work unforgettable:




EVOLUTION:




and to torture you.. The Cat Came Back (try to get the song out of your head for the rest of the day after you watch this!)