Durham, William
<p>Nov 5, 2009 10:50 AM
 
 
BILL DURHAM ... nice guy... great speaker... v clar
 
Big book 1991:  Coevolution of Genes, Cultural and Human Diversity.
 
Also he founded Center for Responsible Travel.
 
Introduc by Russell Fernald  expert in evol of visual and nervous systems in living organisms.
 
 
Durham  won MacArthur Award  Roderick MacArthur ... 5 years to do what you want.  won it in 1983.
 
Beautiful phrase from DARWIN  On the Origin of Species...
 
<b>whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity,</b>
 
<b>From so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderufl have been, and are being evolved.</b>
 
 
See DARWIN WIKIQUOTES ... MAGNIFICENT!!!
 
17000 SPECIES OF TRILOBITES!!!!   He found one trilob while mowing the lawn a rock split open!!!
 
they went extinct 25 MYA.
 
He collected fossils as a child.
 
Bill was a Stfd undergrad.   Very loving parents ... dad was a computer guy;  mom at psychology grad student.
He went to a private HS.  played trumpet in marching band  (story of dropping pants to surf shorts).
 
1991:  Big Idea is  CO-EVOLUTON  of   CULTURE and simult  DNA.
 
Co Evol of  Sociol/ Culture/DNA/ Ecology.
 
Scarcity and Degradation of Forests in Latin America.
 
When he reads a book he makes his own inexd.
 
Was fascin by carnivorous plants like venus flytrap and Sun Dew.
 
Pronounced  LAS coh  Caves in Europe ... loved travel to Paris.
 
Collen Pittinger.
 
He is really interested in  Dynamics and Persistence of Ideas.
 
He had long hair and a beard in sixties ... met David Harris.
Bill was wide-eyed kid from MidWest.
 
2 FORMS of Inheritance.
 
Farming for YAMS  -->  clear forests --->  create ponds of standing water --->  malaria pools
 
heterozyg  SX  creates malaria resistance.
 
2/3 to 3/4 of  adults on planet cannot drink milk.   Lactase shuts off.
 
Who are the people who HAVE persistent lactase into adulthood.
A)  People with long history of dairy farming  (another source of calories)  and
B)  Highly correlated with  HIGH LATITUDE!!
===>>  Norther Europeans!!!!   (Get calciuma dn vit D from milk;  they need it!)
 
Also  look at religious symbols of  various cultures:  Northern Euros...  Scandanavians:
Have Giant gods that are SUCKLED on GIANT COWS!!!
Nothing like that on the Equator in their gods and pantheons.
Mid latitudes:  regular cows or animals  (perhaps romulus and remus)
 
DNA and Language  Collen Pittinger.
 
Look at Tree of Life Project....  extremely detailed  tree.... precise molec genetics!!!
 
DARWIN was really worried about BLENDING of traits... if they are blending then it does not work.
Must have discrete, heritable, persistant traits to make it work    Darwin needed Mendel!
 
Has been to Galapagos  24 times... concerned abt  pollution of Gallapos...
30k people now call it home ....  only 2 islands are uninhabitated.
 
there is Intl certif   FSC  Forest Steardship Council  and other certifs to make sure
ecotourism is genuine and not  a  branding fake.
 
Tupian  Speakers  kill  everybody that is close by ... head hunters,  trophy heads to
scare away competitors for food.
it incr there food supply.
 
Yanomamo...  tribe in Venezuela.
 
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