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RE: paleonet peppered moth

Folks -- no problem answering the question. Everything I have studied suggests that my distant ancestors were "out of Africa". Those who are offended that we are not all descended from Noah's offspring might also be offended by the idea that we may all be descendents of Black Africans.  Horrors!
 
I, for one, find the modern-day Africans fascinating people, and the paleontological fossil remains equally so. Each hominid find answers a question or two and raises a lot more. What excitement! What other paleo field can give you cold chills when you read the reports about a new find or another possible ancestor?
 
FYI -- my immediate ancestry is "Scotch/Irish" and "Russian/Siberian/Mongolian".  Makes me Euro-Asian???  The distant African blood balances the rest out nicely. And the Chimps are only cousins, not ancestors. 
 
Sandy Leo
 
Out of Africa, still
 

From: paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk [mailto:paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Judith Harris
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 12:04 PM
To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
Subject: Re: paleonet peppered moth

Great suggestions.

On a more personal note, what does it mean that you are a "Stratigrapher, still out of Africa". I am a terrestrial paleoecologyist and am also "still out of Africa.

Judith
On May 5, 2005, at 12:32 PM, Leo, Sandy wrote:

Folks: An interesting, comprehensive web site on this topic is:
 
 
I might suggest that if a teacher is challenged on the pepper moths and evolution, he/she might open a discussion on 1) looking at the original source of data, 2) value of peer-reviewed papers, 3) how easy it is to interpret information in different manners, and finally, 4) how to identify hoaxes or fraudulent studies. Even middle school students might enjoy tracking down all of the controversy on this topic (via the web).
 
More advanced students could be encouraged to discuss the scientific method, changes through time in scientists' understanding of a topic, and work toward their own conclusions about evolution and evolutionary drivers. I could envision a lively discussion, especially since high school students enjoy challenging the establishment, whoever they may be.
 
Sandy Leo
 
Stratigrapher, still out of Africa

From: paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk [mailto:paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Joanne Kluessendorf
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 9:19 AM
To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
Subject: paleonet peppered moth

For insight on the peppered moth and its role as an "icon of evolution", see the March/April 2005 issue of Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 29, p. 23-28. The article's authors conclude that the claims of fraud in Kettlewell's original experiments related by Judith Hooper in her 2002 book"Of Moths and Men: the Untold Story of Science and the Peppered Moth" are "moonshine" and "based on a lack of understanding of his experiments and of experimental science in general."

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