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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Biology

My Dilemma opus 5

A god-concept is not needed to understand?

There is my dilemma!

Email to Bill opus 7

My late wife (Nora) rescued and neutered a few stray cats, left on our highway. There are now a few remaining after her death in November 2016. One was a favorite; small, gray female, often with a "squeaky" meow, when in human contact.

Lately she comes only off and on to our morning feedings. At first I was worried she had been hit by a car. Now I wonder if she is being fed elsewhere. If you do not have other cats you are feeding and are feeding only this cat (if you are), please stop feeding her so she will stay with me. She is part of the memory of my late wife.

Thank you,
Frank.

Aggression and Love opus 24

Love of country.
    Love of Another.
        Love of property.
            Love of possessions.
                Love of a food.
                Love of a pet.
            Love of a sports team.
        Love of a political party.
    Love of a religion.
Love of freedom.

Love of all these things gives one meaning
And a sense of belonging.
But when events are challenged and go awry,
Everything of Love might bring out
The strong human feelings of conflict and then aggression--
Another human emotion which often
Wells up in resulting human behavior:
We mirror the schizophrenic ups and downs of chimpanzees
When we might have evolutionarily followed the peaceful,
Loving interactions of the Bonobos, the Lesser Chimp!

Will we always be destined for an aggressive existence,
Or follow the better supplications for a loving reality?

Your Umbilical Scar opus 33

Oh, behold your umbilical scar,
Manifesting the uterine phylogeny of your past.

It is now the fashion of many of our females of the species,
To display this indented tummy ornament
To lure and excite--god knows why--
Her fellow bearers with their X and Y.

Hidden Libraries opus 50

Each of us holds volumes of memories
Which are either lost in death
Or, perhaps, could be preserved through various recording methods
So that an enhanced life is held for others.

Likewise, there exists another library held immobile in each of our cells,
Revealing a deeper and faraway past
Which expounds itself through our DNA,
Manifesting our juxtaposition with perhaps great historical events!

Campangol (Campanyol) opus 64

My study creature of choice in graduate school
Was the ubiquitous Meadow Vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus.
My base study area at Cornell was an open field laced with hay bales.
To be really efficient, in addition to the use of traps,
Was to quietly approach a bale and suddenly flip it.
Then there was a dive and a scramble,
Scooping up whatever was moving.
Proper mothers and offspring were often collected together,
Preserving the accurate genetic line in one fell swoop!

Many years later, I find myself in California,
Surreptitiously meeting a professor studying the large Microtus of the West.
We hit it off, friendship wise, as biologists often do; with us, the binding Microtus!
And, of course, as I have learned in my now home of 45 years,
Our belov-ed tiny mammal in Spanish is Campangol (Campanyol) (the mouse of the field)!

Out Of Africa opus 66

I am a human, Homo sapiens, whose phylogeny is out of Africa.
After I lived several decades in the Northern Hemisphere,
I "returned" to Africa, Lesotho (Le su tu), to teach biology.
I viewed, often, the great remaining herds of migrating creatures,
The valley villages in the early morning, with a hovering cloud of smoke over the huts,
And remember the breeding of my Basotho mare with a local magnificent Appaloosa stallion.

We rode from Roma, Lesotho, to a Ladybrand farm in South Africa,
To leave the mare for breeding on the Amm's place for a few days.
Weeks later, back in Roma, a beautiful foal emerged
With a Nez Perce (Ney Pair say--French) blanket of white, scattered with black spots on her rump:
Perhaps the first of such a gene recombination in Lesotho!
The transport of a North American horse breed (bred by the Nez Perce),
Combined with the 'blood' of the African bred Basotho pony:
Such a sweet, lovely creature to be created on the continent of our human origin.

Nicholas, the future Zoologist opus 82

Well, Nicholas is a 14 year old boy who wants to be a Zoologist.
His mother called me to ask if I might be interviewed.
(She had chatted with me on the 'phone, while making a doctor's appointment.
I guess I said enough that she thought I was an able zoologist!)

The day arrived when Nicholas and his parents came for the interview.
We started, Nicholas with pen in hand, by the non-native eucalyptus trees.
We talked together about how there was little life stirring up there--
Introduced plant species are the same as constructing a parking lot for wildlife.
Next on to a stand of Elymus glaucus, the Blue Wild Rye grass.
Here, one would be much more likely to see native fauna amongst the stems.
Then on by the plug-in hybrid car-- a small positive step, slowing climate change for all of us.
We passed by my little pond, explaining the necessity of water for life.

Around behind the house, Nicholas viewed and talked about antlers, horns, and tusks;
All as a result of parallel evolution, manifesting uses for defence and aggression
And just plain, obvious secondary sexual characteristics!
More subtly, we viewed a fluorescent rock,
Demonstrating the added ability of birds to see in wavelengths beyond ours.

Finally, some real vertebrates: a Whiteface Angus steer,
And three emu--ratites (flightless birds) from Australia.
The steer licked Nicholas' hand, showing some of his (its) dentition--
Flat and gently ridged, adapted for a grazing life,
And the emu with greatly reduced wings and huge legs,
Demonstrating a life which evolved from flight to bipedalism.

As we concluded, I asked Nicholas if he had any further questions.
He concluded with a smile, "Nope, you've covered it all!"

Comprehension opus 90

A friend said to me
'It is so wonderful
You work so hard to save the planet!'
I shot back, 'To save the planet.
May be too much for me alone,
But I am continually guiding.
To teach others how they might think.
And understand the biological process.
And geological phenomena,
So that as our 'fate' nears,
We will truly comprehend why we are surviving.
Or tumbling down into ruin.'
Thus, we might end the constant, meaningless cry,
'Why did god do this to me?'

The Poppies of Elsinore, California opus 92

When I was 10, I had my own paper route.
I folded each paper, stuffed them all in the cloth paperbag,
And rode off on my bicycle.
One afternoon about 1951, I was folding the papers
And reading the headlines that day as I folded,
I saw something I would never forget--
Why, I do not know, but there it was:
"The Earth's Population is now 3 Billion People."

Of course, now within my lifetime of 71 years from that time,
The earth has reached a growing total of over 8 billion persons!
The predictions are that things may level off at 10 or 11 billion.
Goodness-------.
Now on the radio today there was a news item
That in 2019, Elsinore, California, had thousands of visitors
To view the superabundance of Spring poppies.
So many people that it clogged the town to a standstill--
No towns people could follow their normal movements!
The highway blocked, driveways blocked, shopping centers blocked!
Then, Covid for two years and no visitors.
Now 2023 arrives with another poppy bumper crop.
The town was so traumatized in 2019,
That the mayor proclaimed all peripheral roads and parks were closed--
There were so many people who came before,
That now, NO ONE could enjoy the canyon flowers by the town.

Three billion to eight billion population and everyone is penalized--
Just trying to view some flowers!
Will we be able to manage our populations
With ever more growing vital life needs such as
Meds distribution, food availability, fuel consumption?
How might we really manage with such chaos?

Sunrise opus 109

Ah, there at last comes Earth's Golden Eye,
Edging slowly upwards and ever sightly to the West,
To shower our life-laden globe
With its nurturing, warming rays.

[ 'Life-laden' for now;
As we are continuously 'directing' our own
"Sixth Extinction Symphony" in D Minor. ]

The Wonderful Horseshoe Crab opus 118

The Wonderful Horseshoe Crab's existence is being torn between two worlds.
Our American Horseshoe crab, Limulus polyplemus,
(Which has been extant for 200 million years--a fossil for 480 million!),
Arrives each year to lay its eggs on our eastern shores--
Masses crawl up the beach, dig holes to lay; eggs fertilized in situ.
The egg laying timing coincides with the migration of the Red knot, Calidris canutus,
Flying, and requiring added 'egg' energy for its voyage from South America to the far north.
Both species thus coincide--except now for climate change,
When the egg laying and birds' arrival time are slowly shifting out of sync
The FIRST pending calamity manifesting from human activity.

Now come humans, with all their enquiring and invention;
The blue blood of the crab is desired and harvested.
Whatever for?
When added to tested medications, clotting occurs,
If and when impurities obtain in any otherwise desired result.
Millions of crabs are harvested and bled,
Some are returned to the wild to assuage the human conscience,
But most ultimately, surely succumb and are no more.
The crab population needlessly and tragically dwindles
Even though there is now a less expensive manufactured replacement,
Less used, but perfectly ready to be substituted!
Why? Perhaps the gatherers of the crabs, being shielded, will lose employment;
So let's just continue with the status quo.
This, the SECOND pending calamity manifesting from human activity.

The Crab's welfare versus Human welfare--a certain dilemma in an ever-complicated world.

Radiation and Half a Beard opus 120

I am, at 81, well into my Third Age.
With this comes challenges to health;
Cancer; the nemesis of human existence.
A neck squamous cell challenged my life
And it was decided to thoroughly operate;
Muscle removed, glands eradicated, and a graft.
The graft became a joke,
In that my neck started a strip of beard,
Borrowed from my chin!

Now, after some healing, the discussion commenced to radiation.
Oh, my. Another decision.
More than a month, for every working day,
I journeyed to Sacramento--the radiation center
Of the Mercy group--Mercy? Perhaps.

Encapsulated in a modelled, personalized upper body form,
Lying immobile, imprisoned; slowly, the pending feast of a Bar-B-Que.
As the days passed, the effect began to be manifested
In redness, rawness, and rigid muscles;
But I was still alive, perhaps now fully saved
By the additional prophylactic radiation.
Oh, and it was mentioned that, "You might lose your left beard!"

Time passed and, indeed, no beard and just bare, soft skin.
Friends showed their sympathy and compassion
But added, "Well, with half a beard, you surely will remove the opposite side?"
Now in my Third Age, without hesitation,
I blurted out with gusto,
"Of course not; I will just create a new style."

The Octopus opus 121

A creature with incredible intelligence.
Eyes that rival those of many creatures in the world:
The ability to recognize different human faces;
Acrobats, with the "dexterity" to escape through small outlets;
Possessing small pigment sacks, allowing complex color changes.

But the profound and sympathetic question is--
Why with potentially toxic bodily hormones,
Must these fascinating creatures die within one year?
If octopuses were to live to 80 years as we do,
Might they be able to take over the world
And possibly improve the place of our constantly conflicted species?

May We not lose Our Joshua Trees! opus 132

The Human-augmented climate crisis is taking its toll everywhere.
What seems at first just subtle shifts of the environment,
Suddenly explode in our face, manifesting pending disaster.
Such is the plight of the Joshua Tree--
That Doctor Seuss-like succulent with its comical, upright 'arms'.
They are dying from the worst drought in more than a thousand years.
Beyond that, housing developments have divided reproducing populations,
And now wildfires have increased across their desert.

Developers in the region are concerned that their activities will be encumbered.
And opposing environmental groups are concerned
About the total demise of this unique organism.
This scenario is just a small manifestation
Of the thousands of potential conflicts which will 'raise their heads',
As we earthlings proceed further into the misty unknown
Of what our exploding human population has created.

We must teach our children, the inheritors of this terrible creation,
So that they better understand and can possibly cope
And intellectually ameliorate the huge challenges they will face.
At 82, I only wish I could 'stay around'
To aid them in a problem I have helped create!
I am so sorry.

The Pacific Pond Turtle opus 135

Most people in California have no idea
That they are sharing territory with the Pacific Pond Turtle--
The only freshwater turtle in the state.
(There may be a possibly extinct Mud Turtle
Originally recorded from the Imperial Valley.)
This species is struggling now, competing with introduced species.

Certain ethnic grocery stores freight in the Southern Painted Turtle and the Elegant Slider.
They are imported for human consumption,
But, sadly, many are kept as pets, only to be released or are escapees.
Other ethnic groups buy many to be part of a religious service and are then released.
People often feel 'sorry' for captive creatures and good-heartedly 'let them go'.

As with all unwanted (by the knowing) introductions,
The 'culprits' have no idea the huge harm they are causing
To the long established native species,
Resulting from the generally unequal competition by those introduced.
There is no good judgement nor proper evaluation
Of these innocent acts which cause this basic biological chaos,
Because the majority of us do not take the time nor care
To learn the flora and fauna of our own ecosystem,
Thus allowing these thoughtless acts to occur around us.
Humans formerly knew well their surroundings
In order to gather and hunt food, collect materials to construct or build,
And knew what was safe and what was dangerous to their lives.

There are so many stories of visitors hiking and resting in a patch of poison oak,
Or swimming in an unknown river with a dangerous current,
Or consuming a mushroom that causes a fatal end,
Or bringing in foreign plants, because of homesickness or because 'it looks nice'.
To learn one's surroundings takes time and patience,
But the joy of understanding one's 'place' and its inhabitants,
Is boundless and is helpful for one's own being
And the protection of fellow creatures (including plants!).

The Labyrinth opus 136

Fish have gills, Silly: How else would they breathe?
Well, because of evolution through natural selection,
A group of fish (there are many other examples)
Inhabiting the Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia area are the Bettas.
Bettas were originally found in Thailand.
They are among the oldest domesticated fish species in the world,
Having been owned as pets for more than 4000 years!
They survive in small puddles of water, in rice fields, and ditches.
Because of the uncertain fluctuating oxygen supply,
They have evolved a structure at the bony base of the gill,
Called a labyrinth, which allows not only gill breathing,
But also the intake of air, by gulping, this interacting within the labyrinth,
Supplementing the often low oxygen content in the surrounding water.
The labyrinth contains plates with a myriad of oxygen absorbing blood vessels
Which gather inhaled air now trapped inside a group of folds
And then absorbed into the main bloodstream.

Bettas are obligate air breathers in that they occasionally must take in oxygen from the air.
The other group of labyrinth fish are facultative air breathers,
Which only breathe at the surface when running low on oxygen.
Bettas breathe using their labyrinth organ, day and night,
So they prefer sleeping under large plants near the water's surface
And thus do not need to exert extra energy to rise to the top for a quick gulp.

Interestingly, they use this organ to create 'bubble nests' at the surface.
The males blow bubbles to form one of these nests as part of their reproductive process,
But even single males will make a bubble nest, if content in their space!

Just another fascinating creature to get to know and this is why
Natural history study makes one an ever-more interesting person.

Try it!

I. Human-caused Evolutionary Changes - Tuskless Female Elephants in Mozambique opus 138

Wars cause many changes, but tuskless elephants?
The 15 year war in Mozambique, caused culling for ivory.
Almost all (90%) of the elephant population was destroyed in
Gorongosa Park, just to finance senseless human warfare.
Half of the surviving females were tuskless;
Before the war, fewer than a fifth lacked tusks.
The tusks are used to dig for water, strip bark, and joust.
Now tuskless individuals feed mostly on grasses,
Whereas those remaining with tusks eat legumes and tough woody plants.
This is a major change in food preference!

The dominant gene for tusklessness is carried on the X chromosome,
So only one X chromosome needs to carry the gene--
And remember that female mammals have two X's.
But when the affected X is passed to a male with one X and one Y,
That single X is basically lethal and may be the one
To affect male development and thus early embryonic death.
The general thought is that evolution takes a long time,
But here we see major relative change within a 15 year time span!
The tuskless surviving females gave birth to daughters, about half being tuskless.
And because of the lethal gene on the X, two-thirds of their offspring were female!

These results show how human activity
Can have a major influence on the evolution of other life forms.

Birds Coping with the New Heat opus 142

Heat is becoming unbearable for humans inhabiting many parts of the world,
But have we also been considering the plight of our bird populations?
Temperatures are high enough that the normal methods birds
Cope with elevated temperatures are reaching their biological limits.
Gular fluttering--mouth open and 'fluttering' neck muscles
Pumps air in and out of the throat and is used by many birds to cool down,
But this function also causes water loss.
Small birds like Goldfinches just do not have the body mass to cope.
Other species, such as the Curve-billed Thrasher are bound to a desert habitat,
Where temperatures are becoming extremely high--
The Mojave Desert is now reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bill size has been found to correlate with temperature--
Large bill, higher temps, so that blood flow will dissipate temperatures.
Opening out wings while standing alleviates heat build up.
A bird's normal temperature of about 106 degrees F, has been recorded at 111 F.
Tree swallows have been recorded laying their eggs 9 days earlier than normal.
Warblers, especially, have shifted their home ranges northward.
Migration of many bird species are also changing with the heat increases.

For a biologist, becoming more aware of all these changing factors,
The burden of shifting life processes is sometimes overwhelming.

Happy Birthday (23 July) to Eric, 20 Year Old Son of Jessie and Ana Soto opus 150

Enclosed in this little bag are some turkey feathers,
Exhibiting their wonderful iridescence.
As you move them back and forth in the sun, to enhance their colors,
Remember to always be aware of those very small
And seemingly insignificant 'things' in life,
And thus, they will truly, completely fulfill
The depth and meaning of all your life.

Voice Changes opus 157

The voice depends mostly on the tautness and length of the vocal cords
And how tightly they contract as the air from the lungs hits them.
The voice of a child is high because the larynx is small,
The vocal cords being short, thin, and tight.
At birth the vocal cords (or folds) of both boys and girls measure about 2 millimeters long.
Those of girls grow 0.4 mm per year, while those of boys grow 0.7 mm.
Finally, girls' vocal folds reach 10 mm, while boys' are 16 mm,
Producing the lower or deeper voice of males.
With puberty, the larynx grows, the vocal cords lengthen and thicken,
Thus causing the voice of both males and females to deepen.
The further 'culprit' in boys is the additional flush of testosterone.
The female voice remains relatively higher, as explained, because of shorter cords.

As adults age, vocal cords become thinner,
The cartilage of the larynx becomes harder and less flexible,
Causing the alteration of the voice.
Thus the pitch of the voice changes with age:
Often rendering it to be higher in older men and lower in older women.
Additionally, the musculature of an elder's larynx
May weaken or cause a quavering quality called vocal tremors.
The voice may be further changed with a stooped posture
Or the lessening of lung capacity,
Thus reducing the air flow through the larynx, furthering voice alteration.

This is why older men with a remaining rich, robust voice,
Often cause remarks from others as to how young they sound!
Radio material.

Baby Bones opus 158

Newborn babies reportedly have 300 'bones',
Compared to an adult human, having only 206!
Really? (The secret is the 300 'bones' vs. 206 bones.)
To get through the birth canal,
The baby must be like the satellite in space,
Unfolding piece by piece to manifest the final morphology!
The so-called baby bones are actually pieces of cartilage,
Which, with maturity, will fuse into the final 206.

An example is the bregma, consisting of many soft spots
On the skull called fontanelles,
Most of which fuse by 2 to 3 months,
The last largest one fuses by about 18 months.
Just imagine--the final ossification process
In the human body occurs in the mid-20s!
And just think--a child can vote, learn to kill in the military,
Or drink itself to death before the 'final ossification'!

The Whistled 'S' opus 160

On the Canary Islands, people often communicate by whistling long distances in Silbo.
That kind of whistling, I was not thinking about, but rather a 'whistled S' with normal speech.
I have noticed, especially on NPR that a larger number of women announcers,
Than their male counterparts, have incessant, annoying 'whistling S's'.
Why is this annoying habit occurring mostly, as I perceive, on NPR?
Does NPR not vet its speakers more stringently than other media?
The radio's the medium of the voice and the voice should be one of its primary criteria.

Google says it is the shape of the mouth and placement of the tongue when creating the sound.
The actual whistle is from the air passing through the teeth in a certain way,
Causing a slight vibration which produces that sound.
One can get a shrill whistle when the teeth come too close together, or not close enough.
Dentures can add bulk to the palate, which produce this speech impediment.
The screeching 'S' can also occur with veneers, too thick or too long on the central incisors.
Those who become their own self-proclaimed cosmetic dentists,
Tend to concentrate on issues of aesthetics and ignore chewing, swallowing, and speaking.
It is the inner side of the teeth that is critical.
The prevalence of the whistling 'S', even occurring naturally, is unclear.
That which affects front teeth could be modified to make any change of significance,
Sometimes within a few hundredths of an inch.
There are many whistling 'Sers' who are dismayed with this condition--
And once one senses it, it is difficult to listen to.

The Whistled 'S'; An Addendum opus 161

The researcher, Zimman, discovered that no matter what the pitch,
A voice could be perceived as male, if the 's' sound were emitted in a lower frequency;
Such a sound is produced when the tongue is positioned farther away from the teeth.
The voice, whether masculine or feminine, is not just biologically determined,
But also is socially driven!
A deeper resonance, sounds as if emanating from the chest and not the head--
Actually the resonance is lower for people with the larynx deeper in their throats!
The positioning of the larynx is manipulated when young:
With male children, from use, the larynx is actually pulled down a bit,
While female children push the larynx up!
So, as a result of mimicking and social pressure,
The voice is partly manipulated into 'conformity' of that society!

The Menstruating Man opus 165

An incision was made in my rear
To reach a gut emergency, resulting from aging!
After two colostomies and the passing of much time,
I have survived! Actually am alive!

The remnants of that mad escapade
Is an unhealed fissure, oozing fluid--
Sometimes with blood and sometimes clear.
After deciding it was best to let it ooze
And not, at my age of 81, to operate once again,
I have a pad with a careful change when needed.

I now see what my human female counterparts endure,
The only female primate who bleeds when not potentially pregnant.
I just bleed or ooze whenever, with never a pregnancy in sight!
But finally, as a feminist, I must now consciously endure
My perennial menstruation and be reminded
That all mammals are basically, genetically female!
(Don't forget those two X's!)

Banning Shakespeare? opus 166

Besides Banobos, Humans are the most sexually oriented primate on the planet.
Is it any wonder that our plays, films, novels, or poetry reflect this?
We have a presidential candidate, also governor of Florida,
Who, as governor, is now actually banning the high school study
Of the complete works of William Shakespeare!
A student will encounter a watered-down presentation of a play,
Cleansed of anything that is 'racy or sexual'.
(A reading of the complete works must be accomplished by the student hermself*.)
This is to 'protect students, from anything untoward'.
These are students, who, if following high school 21st century behavior,
Are kissing, flirting, tempting, petting, masturbating, pleasing each other orally,
Or, heaven forbid, actually indulging in copulation!
This is not to mention all the 'dirty' novels and ubiquitous pornography.

Who is protecting whom from what?
By watering down or banning something from a young human,
It guarantees that, without wise instruction, complete works will be incompetently read!

* Non-sexist pronoun; Prof. Lenora Timm, 1966.

The Joy in Shape opus 173

Just contemplate the varied and beautiful morphology of African horned creatures :
The shapes and gracious curves of those protuberances
Make one wonder just what was the creator--
Imagination elicits the gods, until the rational mind
Draws in selection, relatedness, and the challenging chance of survival.

Lauretta, PA (A Physician Assistant) opus 175

I am a biologist (joying in observing various morphologies),
Also a stone carver, slowly creating petroglyphs with a mallet and chisel,
As well as a poet of sorts, constantly attempting to verbalize that which I perceive.

When I had my appointment with you to discuss my hip implant,
I could not help but admire the perfection of your ear,
The marvellous expression of your eyes, flashing emotion,
Both, cornered with sun-like rays of tiny lines,
And the expression and caring and sympathy in your voice,
As you expounded to me of possible outcomes to my condition.
Also, never to be forgotten is your black hair,
Very gently fringed with wisps of tiny white,
Manifesting your growing wisdom as you flow towards your zenith of life.

Thank you for such memories of which will linger always in my mind.

Tachymenoides harrisonfordi opus 176

Yet another new species has been discovered--this time a snake in Peru.
So many unknown species still roam our planet.
This snake has been named after Harrison Ford,
A great supporter of environmental issues.
It was 'discovered' in a helicopter-only remote National Park in Peru.
When Edgar Lehr, a US-German biologist, was asked how he felt
About the plight of species diversity by A. Rascoe of NPR,
He answered with the usual 'biologist's reply' of great concern,
But then all abruptly ended with no further interview!
We are becoming complacent as to our biological, future concerns.
I guess that is just what is going to happen--
As long as we humans continue our chaos.
The massive, present Sixth Extinction must be viewed
As our 'canary in the mine'.
The disappearance of our more sensitive fellow creatures,
Is screaming at us that sooner or later, we may be next!
(I conclude it might finally be humans vs cockroaches!)

The Struggling Polar Bear opus 192

Polar Bears wander in a warming autumn.
No food intake all summer.
Seals in iceless water taunt the white giants.
Males fight with restless anger alone--
No females present to raise their testosterone--
Only tension, no ice from which to hunt,
And a longer hiatus with no food.

As the earth increasingly warms each year,
The bears must seek out cliff nests for eggs.
The Snowshoe Hare is still in a white mode,
Maintaining its lingering white phase,
While traversing on a brown substrate.
Easy to see but far too quick for the bear.
Balancing on cliff edges, seabird eggs
Are a small nutritional substitute.
Our human activities, releasing ever more CO2,
Have a great bear
Balancing on cliffs to ferret out a diminutive bird's egg.

The Darkening Arctic opus 193

With the climate crisis, Arctic trees are migrating 130 feet north per year.
The darker trees absorb more heat than the white snow.
The habitat is warming quickly with the invading, woody marchers.

Now add Reindeer to the Arctic recipe,
With their constant nibbling; the trees are held at bay.
Nibbling may seem trivial, but with enough mastication,
The earth's rising temperature may be ever so slightly, favorably manipulated--
Nature's response of repair, countering the folly of the Naked Ape.

Alive! opus 197

Have you ever just stopped, looked around, took a breath,
And felt a rush of joy to know you are indeed alive?
As humans, we are seemingly the only animal
Which can contemplate our own death;
We are able to remember the past and ponder the future.

Further, we are able to joy from the scent in the air,
Which emits a sweet earth-smell, drawn into our nostrils;
We have a rush, while viewing a field of golden poppies;
Our heart pounds, when viewing a herd of stampeding bison.
Recall such experiences and realize how very special it is to be alive!

Kim from Montana opus 215

And then there was Kim, who came out of the absolute blue.
An email stating she was coming from Montana,
Wishing to meet me for a brief moment as she passed through.
She was a development officer for Vital Ground,
A land trust working on, especially Montana bear habitat.
Why me I asked--"I have sent only a dollar now and then."
She said, "I wanted to know who this dollar donor was--
Did some research, read some poems."
And her mind somehow concluded I was A Renaissance Man!

She arrived to visit for a brief hour,
Promised coffee in hand from Starbucks.
What a magical few minutes with a counterpart,
Who had to leave ever too soon to meet with real donors!
How nice it would be to stay in touch
And experience a moment of magic now and again.

Our Sun-Star opus 224

It is November at 11 AM in Davis, California.
The thermometer on the north side of the house registered 55 F,
While the south side directly in the sun measured 90 F.
Such a huge difference! (Even though not read correctly.)
What would we do without our Sun-Star!
If one's mind wanders from the past into the future,
The horrible thought of a Nuclear Winter without the sun
Would freeze one's mind into a possible chaos.

Dog Walking opus 227

So many dog walking accidents have been reported--
Dragged by dog and leash to injury and broken bones,
Resulting from a canine rival or just a passing squirrel.
Do we forget that even though domesticated for perhaps 30,000 years,
These genetically captured, leashed creatures still maintain,
At least some of their original, primordial instincts?

Nature AND Nurture opus 229

We receive our ontology,
Phylogenetically, through our parents.

We are what we eat.

We become what we behold.

So much to learn, so little time.

What is Beauty? opus 239

Humans have wondered for centuries as to what beauty truly is.
Why is it that often after a stroke or brain damage,
That artistic ability often manifests itself or that existing abilities improve?
What goes with our brains and aesthetics--it is not sex nor food!
It is clear humans make aesthetic judgements of faces;
Perhaps described as charming, stunning, or gorgeous.
Even infants (at six months!) gaze longer at an attractive face.

Innately, our brain seems to be evolutionarily organized.
There may be an adaptation for better survival;
Symmetry may be interpreted for better infant health and survival,
An epiphenomenon which depicts a longer, better life.
Faces and natural landscapes elicit these choices--types,
As opposed to architecture and then human art,
Which yield less response.

Now contemplate games--soccer is rated as 'a beautiful game'--
The choreography and elegance of players' movements.
Also consider the beauty of science--E=mc2, mathematics or chess.
An infant's face lights up, having just understood some manipulation.
The satisfaction of knowing beauty can adaptively accomplish usefulness.
There is a satisfaction of taking something apart and then, back together.
What a wonder to contemplate why protons in a nucleus
Remain together and do not repel one another
And to then discover the function of quarks and gluons which help do such:
This results in weak forces when close together
And strong forces when further apart.

Even efficiency is a beautiful thing!
Biological reproduction yields mutated variability,
All of which is selected for survival.
Beauty is not only functional, but useful--
Consider a bee's hexagonal wax cell.
Why can most incomprehensible things in the world,
Be at the same time comprehensible?

But why?
To paraphrase Keats--'Beauty is Truth and Truth is Beauty. That is all'.

A Maple Syrup Thank You opus 241

Ah, dear woman,
With liquid sweetness
Flowing into my widened mouth,
You are sweetening ME,
So that greater remuneration
Will flow into your company's coffers.

Many thanks for the
Thickened juices of Acer saccharum.

(An email sent to Monique, whose New England
company sent me maple syrup as a thank you gift.)

Okto Mom--A Devoted Mother opus 248

Okto Mom has been sitting on a rock outcrop,
Guarding her clutch of eggs for four years!
Once she started brooding her developing offspring,
She remained still, eating nothing.
Over the years, she became emaciated,
Her color fading further and further to a complete paleness
In spite of that, she warded off, especially prowling crabs,
Constantly perusing the area for an opening.
After the four years--the longest incubation
Known for any creature--
The hatchlings scampered out of their encasements
And moved away in all directions,
While she succumbed to the awaiting scavengers.
Such devotion--to be noted--
And a demise to be recorded and eulogised.

Obsolete Hormones? opus 250

Testosterone evolved to give males
The ability for aggression to protect.
Estrogen gave females the desire to create new life.
In our modern world unneeded Testosterone
Results in male rapes, murders, and male prison terms.
In our modern world Estrogen has generated desire for a birth,
Except when a 45 year old wants a child
And later realizes that the 20 year old offspring
Is overwhelming the aging mother!

Our Tree Shrew Affair opus 254

So far, biological studies have shown
All life on earth is related to a single DNA system.
Life shares its connectedness,
Demonstrating the relative closeness of our related status.
Clues of relatedness are also derived
From skeletal bone and tooth fragments.
In that light, the primary ancestor of primates--including us,
Was an arboreal, insectivorous tree shrew!
This is Purgatorius, from 65 million years ago, weighing 3.5 ounces.
The best fossil from 55 million years ago is Dryomomys.

It was always thought that these creatures were solitary.
Good science, with additional evidence
Now demonstrates that our primate ancestors
Appear to have lived as pairs--
Increasing their ability to protect each other,
To increase the success to forage food,
And to more competently raise offspring.
So now, as you snuggle with your partner,
Realize that this genetic behavior may be owed
To an arboreal, insectivorous tree shrew!

Awake, Neanderthal You have migrated to a new time zone opus 255

Our genome is shared with cousins Neanderthal and Denisovan.
Neanderthals migrated out of Africa to the north,
Then splitting into Denisovans moving east.
By going north, the Neanderthal genome mutated to cope with new conditions,
Including viruses and disease challenges in their new environment.
Before the Neanderthal disappeared 40,000 years ago,
They encountered a cousin species,
Homo sapiens--us, also moving out of Africa.
Some of each group took a liking to each other and created a Homo mix!
Neanderthals infected sapiens with some viruses.
Both Neanderthals and Denisovans passed on genes
Which influenced appetite and metabolism,
But they also shared genetic defenses
And genetic variants which affected sleep--
This, because of new varying day and seasonal times in the north.

Proteins in our cells rise and fall in a 24 hour cycle,
Controlling both slumbering times and when one wakes.
It appears that those of us who have inherited a certain array,
Seem to wake up earlier than those who comfortably snooze later.

So much to contemplate when we start to consider
Just exactly from where we come and who we really are!

The Olfactory Mammal opus 256

Crickets to purchase in the pet store.
Wandered by the fish--and then the Betta display.
She had her back to me--she was tall.
I said, "You can train those, you know."
She turned; morphologically lovely.
We chatted about her school, her past,
Her time in our town; I added just a bit.

Not sure if I said something or she,
But there was a blush to her face.
Her prominent nose reminding me
Of my first Armenian High School love.
Then my nostrils were filled with her
Sweet female scent.
A shot went through me and I, the biologist,
Knew I was truly an olfactory mammal;
As she walked away,
Leaving her lingering pheromone.
Indeed, my whole phylogeny
Raced throughout my ontogeny.

'Vertebra' opus 259

(My daughter-in-law rarely communicates in any form, so it was a surprise
that I received a text! 5 January 2024.)

I have had an occasional visit from my 3 year old grandson, Rowan,
Who traversed my farm, talking with me about encountered objects.
He pointed out a whale vertebra, from one of my earlier biology jobs.
I repeated the word, 'vertebra', many times,
Also pointing out his own vertebrae, comprising his backbone.
My grandson had a great time and went back home.

Eight days later, his mother sent this text to me:

    Hi, Frank, sorry (as usual) for the lack of contact.
    I wanted to let you know something you would enjoy.
    Tonight Rowan said, "I hope my vertebrae are doing ok."
    I asked him where he learned such a sophisticated word.

    And he said, "From Papa Frank."

  It was quite impressive and very sweet.
  Thank you for teaching him these important things
  That he will carry forward in his life.
  I appreciate it.

I answered, "Yes, he liked that word. We were looking at
My whale vertebra then to his back."

Such an unpredictable, unforecast pleasure!

To Paul, Who Would Understand opus 262

Horses arose in North America,
Increased in size, and migrated westward.
Presently, a 'new' invasion of a present
'Modern', larger form has obtained,
Replenishing the space of their progenitors

Similarly, the Khoisan arose in Southern Africa
And were partially replaced,
Not only by the Bantu group,
But by the invading 'caucasian',
Repopulating many spaces
Of their original African progenitors.

The Glitter Problem opus 267

Living in the country, one always feels clean and fresh,
Until that deflated birthday balloon plops down in one's field.
I had enough, and went to the supervisors of Davis,
The people of which often celebrated by releasing balloons.
Explaining the problem, they voted to cease such a practice!.
Good! But now I hear of a micro mode of pollution:
The increased use of very small glitter,
Especially on women's attire--even lipstick!
As these tiny particles disperse,
They literally diffuse into everything--
Oceans, lakes, rivers, fields, cities and towns--
Basically everywhere;
Composed of micro plastics that give a visual thrill,
But then a major headache as to their disposal.
These miniscule pollutants are ingested into many living creatures--
Fish, birds, mammals--hey, that includes us!

Do we really have any idea how we are
Just plain screwing up our living quarters??

Ellie The Governor opus 276

I just heard that the state of New Hampshire
Has an interesting annual event--
Namely, the government invites a fifth grader
To be 'governor for a day'.
This year the young governor was Ellie Lively
Who proclaimed her 'haupt' agenda--
Combating animal cruelty,
Educating Fifth Graders to visit animal shelters,
And follow Ellie's example of regularly
Reading to shelter animals in her local shelter.
If she is successful, other students will do the same,
Wherever they reside in the state.

We need more of this type of thinking,
Also for our 'unsheltered' wild neighbors.

An Upper Trophic Level opus 281

I was comfortable with catfish as a product, raised in a hot summer environment. (Now after 40 years, summers are ever hotter--I remember at least three winters when all ponds would freeze over and the kids even skated -- not any longer.). While selling fish, customers had many questions, as is the wont in a direct Farmers Market. One, of course, was, 'Don't these fish feed on the bottom?' I quickly solved that one for a good reply, as well as for a better product: I used floating fish food, which created a wonderful feeding frenzy as well, which the many visiting school children immensely enjoyed! The nutrition of catfish flesh is quite complete and very healthy. But the 'haupt' subject which greatly worries me is the fact that we are fishing out our wild stocks, and, of course, most people wish to consume salmon and tuna and trout, all of which are on the top of the food chain--the highest trophic (feeding) level.

It worries me to see customers in a grocery store, ogling over salmon, when there are so many other, environmentally better fish species to be consumed. Captive salmon create their own problems such as antibiotics loose in the ocean near the floating pens, let alone the dissolving artificial food and fish waste. But most, the escape of domesticated varieties of salmon into the wild populations. Pond raised fish are isolated and do not create such problems. In general then, we must all be aware of the trophic levels from which WE feed as well!

Friend or Foe: The Red Cedar opus 282

Fifty years ago, the moderately scarce Red Cedar
Was often sought out for a Christmas tree on the landscape.
Now, with the Climate Crisis and drought in the Midwest,
Red Cedar are spreading and covering the landscape,
Out competing other plants in water efficiency.
This phenomenon, of course, increases fire incidents
As well as transpiring millions of gallons of much needed water.
Do we choose control burns to prevent fire?
Or to mass cut or chain drag populated treed areas--
Resulting in mass destruction to wipe out one renegade species?

Is this at all analogous to Israel's quandry
Of eliminating masses of innocent population, in order
To ferret out the fewer Hamas, who challenge Israel's existence?
Control of nature seems to often mirror the conundrums
Challenging human population's welfare.

The World's Panama Canal opus 283

The Panama Canal, like the Suez Canal,
Is critical for economizing world shipping,
Resulting from the hard-won excavation of miles of terrain.
Today, though, with so many actual and pending earth changes,
Drought is challenging the Canal's water levels,
Reducing the daily number and size of ships passing through.
Unknown to many, the Canal's water is not sea-, but fresh--
There are several springs in the local lakes providing such
And these water bodies are manifesting lowering levels.
These lakes also provide water
For several million inhabitants of Panama.
Once again, as will occur multiple times over,
Water for agriculture vs the cities
And at the Canal, water for transport vs the same,
Will be in constant competition to provide the growing demands
For food production, transport, and the ever increasing humankind.

Damming the Damning opus 286

I lived with an African Gray parrot for several years
And was witness to its incredible ability to imitate.
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in England has had to isolate parrots
Which, within public earshot, started imitating risqué vocabulary.
The decision was eventually made to remove these individuals
Back to the major flock, where it was anticipated,
That the eight offenders would again utter
'Normal' African Gray vocalizations--
Amusing, if the vocabulary had switched in the reverse order!

Another tale I have heard involved a murder case.
The Gray had witnessed the killing of its human companion ('owner').
It imitated the voice and words spoken during the murder.
The prosecution attempted to use the parrot as a witness,
But because the parrot 'was an animal',
The judge overruled the employment of the bird to nail the murderer!

Of course you have heard of groups attempting
To classify chimpanzees as sentient beings,
Who would be treated on a human level.
Perhaps someday, African Gray parrots
Might be included within the human domain!
(Chimps still are also on the waiting list.)

Yet Another Biological Team opus 290

Because of our ravaging, 'convenient' technology,
Our planet is warming faster than any past 'naturally' documented process.
As a result, oceans are rising and, by the way, are becoming more acidic.
Long before large human invasions, most predator/prey duos were stable.
Then came the Russians, French and others as fur trappers.
The Sea Otter was one victim because of its lush fur.
This species, now threatened, no longer has the numbers
To control the Asian Striped Shore Crab which burrows in the creekbank edges,
Which weakens the soil, causing whole chunks of marsh to calve off.
Specifically, the Elkhorn Slough, a coastal wetland,
Connected to the Monterey Bay area, once lost all its Sea Otters.
But now, with their return, they are ravagingly consuming the crabs,
Resulting in stronger marshland soundness and reduced erosion.
The otter's recolonization controls the crab population
And strengthens our shoreline to battle with the new impending threat.

As a footnote: Sea Otters control sea urchins, which destroy the kelp beds.
Concerning top predators, reintroduced wolves into YellowStone National Park
Are controlling elk and moose populations which consume tree saplings,
Thus alleviating the erosion-effect along riverbanks.

Each time we inadvertently destroy another creature,
We are weakening our own existence.

The Egyptian Vulture opus 297

My first university teaching job was in Turkiye (then Turkey).
At Robert College (now Bogazici Universitesi) in Bebek,
On the Bosphorus, north of Istanbul.
The Science Building was quite new and my classes were on the first floor.
I had a laboratory of my own in the 'attic'.
There was a large enclosed, depressed area
Along the whole building on the south side.
During my entire life, even now at 82 in Davis, California,
I have always lived with and studied tortoises.
In Turkiye I worked with two species of Testudo--
T, graeca and T. hermani, observing them in the large depression.
Specifically, my studies included electrophoresis of blood types,
As well as diurnal behavioural movements of the two species.
To be terse, T. hermani's activities began earlier and lasted longer
Than those of its sympatric fellow species, T. graeca.
Thus, their daily movements divided their feeding times, reducing competition!
The appearance of the two is fairly similar.

I collected specimens both on the European
And on the eastern Anatolian territories.
As I moved through the wilder area of Anatolia,
I noticed that a number of the tortoise carapaces (upper shell),
Had large, healed cracks across much of the curved surfaces.
Upon queries and studying, I learned the cause was the Egyptian Vulture.
Tortoise flesh was one of their sources of protein.
I never actually saw this occurring, but the evidence was plentiful;
The vulture simply found a tortoise, flew up in the air,
Grasping the reptile's body with its talons and dropping it from a height
Which, perhaps after several attempts, cracked the shell enough
That the bird could pry it open and consume the protected body!
(In Africa, this vulture would 'fling' rocks with its beak
At ostrich eggs to break them open.)

I began to wonder what phenomenon
Caused the weaker, curved carapace to be cracked
And not the flat plastron, covering the tortoise underside.
North of Bebek, Ahmet the Conqueror had constructed the Rumeli Hisar
From which, paired with a fortress on the eastern side of the Bosphorus,
He could control, using cannons, the movements on the waterway.
(From here he later moved his boats on rollers over the hill,
Ending inside the protected, chained Golden Horn of old Constantinople,
Surprised the Greeks, and conquered the city!)
At any rate, I used that Hisar (fortress) with my students,
To drop preserved, dead tortoise bodies from the high parapets,
Observing how they would fall and land,
Imitating the hunting behaviour of the Egyptian Vulture.
As suspected, the aerodynamics of the curved carapace
Caused the tortoise body to rotate in the air and collide with the ground,
Making vulnerable, the weaker upper tortoise carapace.
From this experience and from so many more,
Turkiye taught me abundantly the enigmas of life.

A Delayed Tale opus 300

Well, I waited for over an hour for my 1:40 PM appointment yesterday,
With my dear oncologist of the last 17 years, Dr. Alali.
When I first met him, for our appointment after I began to mend,
I suddenly blurted out, "You have a third, middle incisor!"
He was originally from Iran and I, having lived in Turkiye,
Had a great deal of cultural overlap with this gentle man.
He reacted appropriately, with soft surprise that I had noticed such a thing.
I explained I was a biologist and that I observed a full gamut of phenomena.
Over the years, we have had many wonderful 'extra medical' discussions.

Now, continuing--Dr. Alali, very late, finally arrived, being the only oncologist on duty.
(I offered to voice a complaint to the administration,
But he answered that things were being rectified.)
Towards the conclusion of our chat and a little examination,
Dr. Alali recollected what he had seen 17 years ago while passing,

As I was lying in the exam room with my then new assistant oncologist.
He told me that he saw a very sick man and he figured in his head,
"That man has six months to live".
I never knew this and it took a moment to comprehend just what that implied!
We smiled together and Alali added that I now looked--cancer-wise--just great.
He said, "I don't always get the timeline correct and when asked,
Must qualify my answer by saying so."
Well, it was profound, especially not knowing his thoughts previously.
I left the room, not really too phased, having gone through so much in my life,
From flying through snowstorms, walking through the Kalahari Desert,
And having been, nearly fatally, attacked twice by very large African elephants!
At any rate, I have 'been given' many extra years--
All the more reason, I wish to give back as much as I am able.

A Surprise Visit! opus 301

My feeder awaits its visitors.
I, being a voyeur, await as well.
So many White-crowned Sparrows this year!
Where are the Golden-crowns?
I continue to wait and write by the window.
Suddenly two smaller strangers
Arrive for a second, grab a few seeds,
Then quickly flit off to the hedge.
Contemplating my bird ID repertoire,
I just indeed had two Yellow Warbler visitors--
Such a treat for an ornithologist--
Well, at least for a bird watcher.

Eleven Primaries Allow Flight opus 303

For many decades I have taught children (and some adults)
That the first flight feathers (primaries) on the wing of a bird
Number eleven in most birds, with another eleven or so,
Comprising the secondaries on the rear of the wing.
Could there be a tertiary? Yes, rarely, but they exist.
The Mandarin Duck of Asia has such a feather
Poking up towards the rear of the wing!
Our Wood Duck, the only member of the genus, Aix,
And 'cousin' to the Mandarin, is devoid of this extra ornament.

Studies of dinosaurs and the phenomenon of flight
Has been studied by paleontologists,
And nine to eleven feathers appear crucial for flight,
Enabling those later dinosaurs which evolved to birds.
The full story is more complex, but there is no doubt
That some dinosaurs really were able to fly.
So, as you observe a bird flying past you,
Take a moment to pause and realize the special sight before you,
Which binds our present time with the wondrous history
Of the ever-evolving life on our Blue Planet.

Some General 'Rules' to Ponder. (Written With B. Franklin in Mind.) opus 307

A large monoculture is a dangerous thing.

Tolerance ultimately leads to peace.

Trial and error in biological systems
leads to continual, ultimate successes.

Following only one philosophy
can lead to the loss of unknown experience.

One must always be aware
of the limitations of the living system.

Happiness is not contentment
and joy cannot be continually experienced.

Restricted standards in biology
can often destroy the required variation for survival.

With only one, DNA based system of earthly life,
how could there ever be one ultimately 'special' life?

Humanism is the understanding and reverence for all life,
without an interfering supreme being.

By destroying your environment,
you are destroying yourself.

Without sex, life would be just a bunch of independent clones.

Without religion, early rulers could not
have well-controlled large groups of 'subjects'.
Perhaps such is still the same today?

A moderated, ritualized competition 'for the girl',
Might lead to a safer conclusion, as with many other life forms,
just as a good parasite should never kill its host.

No matter under what circumstances--
testerone, belief, and a resulting conflict
always lead to human tragedy.

Throughout the universe,
water may be the ultimate limiting factor.

Liquid, steam, and ice are the three forms of water.
How fortunate for many earthly forms of life
that the solid state is less dense than the liquid!

For every action, there is a reaction;
that includes chemistry, physics, and human emotion!

Without language, human emotion
would be expressed without a rainbow.

If heat did not rise, our first modes of flight
would have been impossible.

Without evolution, most niches for life
would have been unutilized.

Oh, Dear Southern Alabama opus 310

Our Southern states maintain their infectious friendly cuisine and manners.
Sadly, they hold onto 19th century-thinking concerning several subjects.
Specifically, here, is the question, when is a human, really a human?
The Alabama Supreme Court has now ruled
That a frozen embryo (a fertilized egg) is a child!
Since when could we ever freeze a child?
Since when is a frozen, unattached embryo, (an 'extra uterine child'),
And not within a female uterus, ever be considered a human child?
One of the repercussions, of course, is that 'childless parents'
May no longer be enabled to have a child!
Blind religious edicts lead to human tragedy,
When juxtaposed with the present, technological world.

Science has been developed to yield a life more 'disease free',
As well as a life with reduced mindless toil.
Here, science has allowed human couples, unable to conceive,
To be able to have a possible and healthy pregnancy.
This certainly is a clash of modern technology and continual archaic thinking.

Our Marijuana Dogs opus 313

As most states did, Ohio declared the use of marijuana illegal.
As most states did, they trained police dogs to sniff out the stuff.
As many states have, recreational marijuana use is now legal.
What to do with these steno-olfactory, well trained dogs?
The attempt to retrain these dogs with a very exaggerated specific sense,
Proved to be too difficult--were they too habituated like their human counterparts?
At any rate, the only fate for these dogs is complete retirement,
Just as we retire our protective military and police dogs.
Thankfully, there are human activists who attempt to maintain
A just end for the lives of these canine coworkers (do they have a choice?).
Yet another example of the ever-closer coevolution of humans
With our wolf-descendent-dog companions.

Rationalizing Age opus 319

While chatting on the phone with my son, Pierre, today,
I mentioned my continual, 'gentle', consistent pain
In my somewhat unsuccessful hip replacement.
I told him that at 82, to endure this
'Inconvenience' with my ambulation,
I just rationalize, and tell myself quietly,--
'I am only pretending that I am simply old!'

In Anticipation of a Partial Solar Eclipse opus 341

The early morning sunlight gently flooded my savannah-surrounded pond.
Many native shrubs, planted three decades ago,
Flaunt their ornamental red clusters of mature berries.
Suddenly a rapidly flying cloud crosses the area, then back again--
Rapid movement of a hundred wings,
Completely coordinating the mass of airborne bodies;
Flashes of light-toned feathers, juxtaposed with soft tan;
The flock reels and twists in difficult gyrations.
Suddenly a meeting of two California natives--bird and plant.
The swarm quickly lands, covering the ornamented shrub,
Quickly devouring the coveted energy-filled fruits.
Then just as quickly, the mass of fluttering wings
Rises up as an elevating cloud and flashes onward.

There will be in an hour or so a much anticipated solar eclipse,
But what just occurred outside my window
Is just as wondrous, manifesting yet another natural phenomenon.
May we all remember that minor 'miracles' appear often right beside us,
And that we must learn to marvel at the huge as well as the miniscule.
In my case here, it was the blending of two native beings--
One, the plant, the Toyon ornamented with nutritious fruits,
And the other, our wonderful, attractive and vivacious, Cedar Waxwing.

Heat--The Silent Killer opus 344

Our farm workers are laboring in rising temperatures.
When will they completely revolt to defend their lives
In conditions of blistering heat
While the rest of us are consuming our nourishment
In artificially cooled and comfortable environs?
Do we truly appreciate and are we grateful
That these invincible workers labor on?

The basic question, though,
Is why would certain (e.g. FL and TX) governors
Sign laws to counter efforts
Of more humane members in their governments
To allow temporary shade and water and rest when needed
For harvesters of our food, toiling over the heated earth?
One governor is caught blurting out
If heat remedies "are enacted here and there, it will cause
A lot of problems 'down there' for our farming businesses."

We still, sadly, value our fellow persons on a scale.

'The Seasons of Man' opus 345

Humans have various important times during their lives--
The so-called 'Seasons of Man'.
While observing my seed-laden bird feeder,
I have noticed that the myriad of sparrows
During the winter months have declined drastically,
Now that it is almost May. Why?
Contemplating the seasonal food intake of sparrows,
I realized that not only are the natural seed sources now extant,
But that the new voracious nest-bound offspring
Demonstrate the need in their young lives
To have huge amounts of pure protein for growth.
The adult need for seed intake now requires protein-laden insects!
The behaviour of seed gathering
Is dominated by insect hunting for the young.

There are several examples of specific food needs throughout life.
One is the vegetarian frog tadpole
Metamorphosing to the insectivorous-carnivore adult.
Mammals also switch from high nourishment milk
To a carnivorous, vegetarian or omnivorous life.
But, through natural selection, most European humans, especially,
Have managed to continue consuming milk in their 'adult stage'.
We are all familiar with the lactose intolerant individuals
Who, because of the adult, milk consuming culture,
Must have a lactose-free 'milk' to continue imbibing with their fellows!

Indigenous American Agriculture opus 346

I couldn't wait for your information, so perhaps this might be useful to enhance your exhibit. The religious mounds, etc, would be another story. (I worked on this for about 10 hours!)

Contributions of Native Americans and the indigenous origins of many practices used today in the regenerative agricultural movement.

Original indigenous populations protected local ecosystems, preserving biodiversity, using good land management and farming methods. The landscape to which the Europeans arrived was not 'untouched land' -- the 'pristine myth' -- but rather that the land had been actively shaped. Indigenous Americans had advanced the practices, defining sustainable agricultural and land stewardship.

INTERCROPPING AND POLYCULTURES.

INTERCROPPING has been practiced by many early groups, including the Iroquois. The most well known is the 'Three Sisters'. The corn stalks provide a trellis for the beans, which add nitrogen to the soil. Additionally, the squash vines are a 'living mulch', improving soil health, maintaining moisture, and thus also preventing the growth of weeds.

INTERCROPPING, thus relies on crops that are complementary and compete minimally for resources. This improves crop productivity and yield stability over time, increasing soil health. Other benefits are pest management, weed reduction, insect and disease control. Temporary cover crops (eg. legumes) also improve soil health, sequester carbon and aid in biodiversity. Remember how the Pilgrims were shown the fertilizing method of planting a dead fish in each crop mound.

POLYCULTURES imitate nature by planting various species in the same area, with similar benefits of intercropping. Polycultures demonstrate greater use of nutrients, light, and water than monocultures.

WATER MANAGEMENT.

Today's water management historically returns to indigenous practices. Planting-mounds used by indigenous people in more humid climates drained excess moisture.Mounds or ridged-furrows are used the same way today.

Peoples in arid climates (the Hohokam, Arizona tribe) built canals for their irrigation to farm. The Pueblo people used small dams to productively redirect water, thus preventing erosion. These methods are used today and with modern technology, drip irrigation prevents water loss and erosion.

AGROFORESTRY.

Early peoples practiced agroforestry, by managing trees, crops and wild, then domesticated animals together for mutual benefit. SILVICULTURE or tree management (remember Pennsylvania means 'Penn's Woods'), including growth and composition to enhance wildlife and better hunting, had been traditionally practiced for millenia. SILVOPASTURE was used to graze animals (wild, then domestic) among trees. Better forest health, increased soil carbon levels, shade for animals (ever more important with increasing heat due to the Climate Crisis) and greater wildlife habitat are enhanced by using both silviculture and silvopasture methods.

Of course controlled fires were used by early peoples for forest management. With the ENVIRONMENTAL SUCCESSION process, nutrients were shifted from the soil to an organic plant form. The Midwestern and Southwestern grasslands were burned in selectively chosen forest areas to promote regeneration of forests which still exist today in the Midwest and Texas Hill Country. The ash from these forest fires were used to fertilize crops by collecting it and transferring it to crop areas. Of course, the regenerating grasses, shrubs, and trees, having increased tender leaf growth, attracted wildlife for better hunting. The clearing of much brush and undergrowth allowed for easier hunting with bows and spears. As a byproduct of these fires, grasshoppers and locusts were 'fried' for delicious meals (entomophagy, the eating of insects, which as our protein sources become limited, will be used by future Moderns, once again). Today we use prescribed, controlled burns to reduce fire hazard, clearing areas near cities and towns. The native people also did this around their villages and encampments for exactly the same reason!

PERMACULTURE.

Permaculture, coined by Bill Mollison, was a practice to farm, using all the surrounding environmental features to maximum benefit; working with the natural forces, as opposed to against. The indigenous people planted legumes, plants which 'fixed' nitrogen and added other vital nutrients to the soil. This practice by Moderns is used to reduce dependence on fertilizers and to improve soil health.

For further information:

Books titled '1491' and '1492' by Charles C. Mann.
Permaculture books by Bill Mollison.

Creating a Conservation Easement opus 348

These properties, as an entity, will be donated to the U of WYO with an easement. This is the result of many years of work to accrue all parcels and lots along with much personal remuneration, to enhance the State of Wyoming and its wildlife, situated in an agricultural setting. The Little Medicine Bow River is a tremendous asset for the project property.

It is our wish to have a stable working ranch, protecting its wildlife in perpetuity. We wish to use one of the existing lots (Lot 46 seems most appropriate--topography, its juxtaposition to the larger sections, etc.) as the 'building envelope' for the ranching family, and to keep all sectioned areas as one working entity.

Because of the status of Sage Grouse in the State, let alone the nation itself, we wish them to be totally protected. Because of the Black Footed Ferret on the northern neighboring ranch, we wish they also be protected, and that all other wildlife be legally hunted, if need be, respecting all Wyoming laws.

If peripheral fences are upgraded, they should be wildlife friendly. Internal fences should be temporary.

All geographic features should be left in place to maintain the aesthetic beauty of the ranch.

We wish to work with the WSGLT and the University of WYO to achieve the most suitable result.

Thank you for considering this application to be part of your conservation efforts.

A Mammalian (Human) Territorial Flaw opus 353

Most living creatures, in order to eat well and breed successfully,
Need space, territory, habitat, feeding ground, display area. ...
Humans have gone several steps beyond all this.
Not only do they need area for resource production, living space and so,
But they delve in another mind dimension--that of the holy and revered spaces.
These are territories which, as abstract as they are,
Are to be claimed, maintained, and defended as fiercely as if they were wheat fields,
Without vital seed to eat, but places where one meets a Chosen Entity.
And more, if that space is desired by others,
There is no thought, but to hold and defend it unto death.
A 'simple' mammalian (in our case) functional behaviour to survive has super evolved
Into an abstract set of emotions which continually divide our human world.
If we could only see through this behaviour--completely--
More gentleness and understanding and compromise would prevail!

Glimpsing a Touch of the Sixth Extinction opus 354

When I arrived in Davis, California, in 1978,
I took over a small 37 acre former sheep farm.
Using the local newspaper and local expertise,
I learned about sheep, swine, cows, gardening and aquaculture.
However, being a biologist, I noticed and learned
The many native species, from plant to creature, surrounding me.
In the evening, as it darkened, twenty or more toads
(Bufo (now Anaxyrus) boreas)
Would congregate under an outside light to feast on 'hapless' insects.
Time passed over the years and, as with many of our amphibians,
My toad population slowly dwindled to--nothing.
Was this due to disturbance, rising temperatures or acid in the air?
I know not, but all I know is they were gone.
All that occurred in the early '80's, and then there is now.
I was carrying a bucket of greens by the north side of my house
To feed the rescue tortoises I have accrued,
When I noticed the movement of a grass clump to my left.
Being always curious and empirically longing to know,
I spied a small body, moving 'toad-like' away from me.
Oh, my god, after 40 years, what did I see, but a toad!
I watched in disbelief as it worked its way to hide.
My mind raced in thought--are they returning?
Is this the ultimate and absolutely last one?
Could there be some mutation, resulting in a more resilient form?
Not at all sure, watching the tiny creature disappear,
But nonetheless, leaving me with emotions of joy and despair

Subsiding Cities opus 355

The magic of water is that it occurs in the form of
Steam, liquid, and solid ice--three intuitively predictable forms.
The mindblower is that the solid--ice--is less dense than water and floats!
Biologically this is important for the survival of aquatic creatures in winter habitats.
Now the world's climate is changing and floating ice is liquifying,
Thus slowly creating a new world of drowning, coastal cities.
Our beloved Japanese gifted cherries near the Lincoln Memorial
Are drowning because of the backed up Tidal Basin of the Potomac River.
In South Florida, even on a fair day,
Water is backing up and flowing out of the sewer systems.

Perhaps more alarming, as I have recently learned,
Is that many coastal cities in China are literally sinking.
This is, of course, due to the neighboring--and yes--rising sea.
But, unlike many other countries, a large number of Chinese cities
Are built on softer river deltas, from under which
Groundwater has been pumped out in large quantities.
Perhaps within a hundred years, a quarter of China's coastal land
Will be below sea level, much due to subsidence.
This is an international phenomenon and, within our own turf,
Our beloved New Orleans, sharing similar geology,
Will disappear under the waves.

Bird Talk--Three Thousand Miles Apart opus 357

I was talking on the phone with my friend, Leland.
I was in California, but a former Easterner,
And he was in Pennsylvania, territory I knew well.
When I talk on the phone, I often attempt to visualize
Just what the speaker is doing or where heesh might be.
Leland was walking outdoors amongst his sights and sounds.
Suddenly, I interrupted to query, focusing on a prominent bird call.
Is that a Cardinal I asked? Leland doesn't know birds--let alone calls.
He walked towards the sound--a questionable brownish bird--a sparrow.
No. I urged him to explore further and suddenly
He described a flash of red--perhaps a robin?
Upon closer scrutiny, he declared--"No, all red!"
With that, he declared, "Right, a Cardinal!"
Fun to bird watch from sound only and thus be part of Leland's world.

Technological Augmentation of Testosterone opus 360

The hormone testosterone flows strongly in male human mammalians,
Formerly adapted to augment strength, aggression and fearlessness
For self survival and to protect those living in their small bands.

Today, with the invention of more and more powerful firearms,
The strength of testosterone is now transferred from the body alone
To a powerful and over-proportionally functional trigger finger.

Neanderthals (and Early Homo sapiens) Could not Live on Mammoth Flesh Alone! opus 361

Butchered bones with stone blade marks are prominent in Prehistoric middens.
The question is, did our ancestors consume anything but meat?
Time has passed until now, when, with new research techniques,
We are learning that a large array of plant material
Has been detected and identified around the fossil dentition of the ancient ones.
Chard, wild oats, beans, wild peas, mushrooms, wild mustard,
Acorns, pistachios, and other nuts all have been ferreted out from their non-existent gum lines!
Meat, as it should be with us also, was not continually consumed,
Thus, resulting in a nice omnivorous diet, as our dentition so indicates.

The Fall Risk opus 362

At almost 83, I was yet again faced
With an operation complex enough to be put under.
A large squamous growth on my outer left leg.
Arriving at the hospital, concluding a loquacious taxi ride,
During which we discussed passing farming practices,
I went through the normal drill--
Copay, of course; ID, medical allergies, etc.,
And the normal anointing of my right wrist
With the white bracelet, containing the particulars
Which content the medical staff.
Then, gently, an additional new bracelet
Was juxtaposed by the usual white one--
It was narrower and streamlined and bright yellow--
Large, black lettering announced--'Fall Risk'.

Now, I ID and 'label' birds in my pursuit of new species--
Morphology, call, and feathering to yield age and sex.
Just as I have done so for many years with birds,
The receptionist has ID'ed me as a 'patient type'!
'Why this manner of ID?', I asked.
'Well, your age for one, and your cane!'
Unfortunately, she nailed it--no squirming out--
Just as I make 'positive' bird IDs, so had she!
I am what I am, in this last quarter of my life,
And now, just as with my beloved birds,
I have been absolutely identified and categorized and banded!

Dig Your Canines into this One! opus 364

It is interesting to contemplate
As to what might have caused
The difference between canine morphology
Of us--the hominids--and our fellow pongids
(Including Chimps, Bonobos, Gorillas, and Orangutans).
The dentition of the human mouth
Was really our manipulating third hand.
Then came the invention of tools,
Rendering the lesser utilization
Especially of our large canines.
Thus with tools, combined with the opposable thumb,
Our canines evolved to a 'respectable' size',
Unlike the more exaggerated canine morphology
Of our 'brotherly' pongid hominoids.

Playful Orcas? opus 371

For a number of years now
Orcas have been ramming smaller boats,
Often targeting the rudders, which are demolished.
Some have even managed to overturn a boat or two!
The question has always been as to why this occurs?
Is it an action of revenge for climate change and the diminishing food supply,
Or possibly the invasion of boats with their terribly disruptive motor sounds?
After some study by marine biologists, a conclusion has been formed--
It appears to be young animals, which are merely being playful!
Hitting these boats is all in a day's hunting technique
And nothing more than roughing up their normal prey.
Remember that cetaceans are intelligent and, like their fellow humans,
Play is part of the way of gaining skills to be used in 'serious life'.

(Orcas avoid jellyfish, so a successful remedy
Is to paint jellyfish on the hull and rudder!
Might it work? We'll see!)

Amputations of Man and Beast opus 384

Perhaps as long as 30,000 years ago Homo sapiens
Were performing amputations--Homo neanderthalis
Probably had them beat by several thousand years!
But let's talk of amputations millions of years ago!
Carpenter ants, it has now been discovered,
Have continuously amputated injured legs
Of fellow warriors, when necessary.
They are also presumably able to produce
Antibiotic secretions for serious wounds
As well as for amputations when needed--
Lower leg wounds are left alone
Because if altered, death usually occurs,
While upper leg wounds are successfully
Amputated and treated.
Ants produce many antimicrobial compounds
And have evolved to possess many medical treatments.
This, of course, includes therapeutic amputation!

I believe this is monumental information
Which draws our thoughts towards various life forms,
Ever closer together, and gives us pause
As to just how we might evaluate 'other life'!

California's Newest State Symbol opus 386

Several years ago I proposed and had finally passed as a state symbol,
Purple Needle Grass (Stipa pulchra), the now state perennial native grass
Which was a food staple for native people
And is now used in restoration to outcompete star thistle.
Each plant can stay around quite a while-- 150 years!

Recently California just designated the Pallid Bat as that group's representative.
A most interesting creature consuming insects and scorpions in its diet.
It also consumes cactus (plant) nectar--one of two bats in the world to do so.
The Lesser Long-nosed Bat generally sips cactus nectar
And pollinates with a delicate tongue.
Researchers were surprised to observe the Pallid Bat,
Pollinating by shoving its whole head into the flower!
These bats use echolocation to hunt on the ground
For beetles, crickets, as well as scorpions
The venom of which they are totally immune!
They also found that Pallid Bats transferred
Thirteen times as much pollen as the Lesser Long-nosed Bat.
So the more 'refined' and delicate consumption of the latter species
Was way out done by the less mannered, new discovery--the Pallid Bat.

My Only 'Authentic' Sermon! opus 402

My first Antioch College Co-op Job in 1964
Was in Eminence, Missouri, working in the Pioneer Forest,
Established by an Antioch grad many years before,
Where this grad, Leo Drey, wanted to upgrade state forests.
After buying thousands of acres of marginal wooded lands,
(Utilizing his complete inheritance from his parents!)
Which had been virtually raped of White Oak used for whiskey barrels,
(The cells of this wood were such that barrel leakage was blocked),
The management plan was to girdle all old trees,
Releasing space for the pine subclimax to be harvested years later.
My tool was a moderately dangerous double-headed axe!

This was during my religious phase of life,
So I recreated with 12 year old boys (older children were absent),
Searching for arrowheads, exploring the river;
Interacting with my mentally damaged hotel mates from two wars;
As well as involving myself in the local Methodist Church.
One Sunday, the minister called me aside
And invited me to give an evening sermon--
He said, "I think you have something to say,"
I reluctantly agreed and began my preparation.
I had been reading Kalil Gibran's 'The Prophet',
A story about a prophet who announced he was leaving the village,
Creating anxiety, because the citizens had never solicited his advice.
He was then asked many questions about life.
One subject, which I used, was about children--'You are the bow
And they are the arrows, sent out into the world.'

Well, the evening arrived, and I delivered my 'sermon'.
The result was quite overwhelming--
The minister lined up the congregation to walk past me.
They each shook my hand and offered greetings,
Several actually crying as they passed by!
As a 19 year old, I was obviously overwhelmed and moved.
It was an evening I will never forget,
Although, in the end, I finally became an Evolutionary Biologist!

Challenges opus 406

We are now, regrettably, truly witnessing
Many adumbrations of pending planetary chaos (challenge?):
Food production, transportation challenges, new needs for shelter,
Extinction of many fellow creatures and plants,
Increasing range of disease, survival with rising temperatures,
New needs for nonpolluting energy sources,
Now even new rotation times for our very own planet,--
(The melting ice becomes increased weight of water at the equator),
All will be presenting a new existence for humans,
As well as for all companion flora and fauna on our planet.

Two Canaries to Watch opus 433

I have just finished writing about how our farmers are the world's canaries.
One example in California is the prediction--already seen occurring--
Is that it will be impossible for fruits and nuts to be profitably
produced in that state.
Are they certain? That is the nuts and bolts of California agriculture!
In Yolo County, where I live, funds are slowly being diverted to agave,
A drought-tolerant plant to produce alcohol for Tequila to rival Mexico.
Surely we might come up with something which is a little more 'noble'!
(By the way, because of the drought, California might revert to hydroponics
To be able to continue raising tomatoes!)
With the loss of major crops and the dwindling aquifers,
Will California just revert back to the semi-desert
Which the European pioneers first 'discovered'?

Now jump to the east and Pennsylvania and their potato crop.
Potatoes are a sensitive crop, which in Pennsylvania,
Are confronting higher temperatures and excessive rains,
As well as struggling in 2016 with a newly identified bacterium
For which there is no cure (soft rot).
All these factors will be a challenge to the potato industry
Which produces chips, fries, and many other potato products
For and from the state.

As an aside, Pennsylvania MacIntosh apple trees are being removed
(The days are not cold enough).
These trees may be replaced with peaches
Which (temporarily?) might improve production with the warmer weather.

A footnote from neighboring Michigan: Several northern tribes have decided,
Because of a warm, dry winter, to let the sugar maples rest this coming season.
Will this continue to obtain with all these climatic changes?

Google and research the myriads of agricultural challenges
Occurring around the world -- It is mind-blowing.

The End of Yet Another Golden Age? opus 440

We humans have lived through a climate golden age.
With our ever greater success in most things,
We increasingly traverse the world,
Slowly carrying viruses and bacteria with us.
With the human population-increase throughout the planet,
There accompanies an increase
In ever-more confined protein sources to feed us:
Feedlots for cattle, tiny coops for multiple chickens--
Our gallinaceous protein source--,
Ever-more fish farms, confining magnificent salmon.
These confined populations,
Ranging from humans, to our 'fellow-food creatures'.
Exasperates the increased possibilities of transmissionable disease:
Look at bird flu just now in our dairy cattle herds--
Milk still drinkable, yet affecting the caretakers.
Henry Ford's production line increased efficiency,
But that crowding was with the joining of metal and fabrics--
Crowding life with ever-more 'food producers' is not the same.
Some of the oldest forms of life--bacteria and virus--
Are constantly mutating, waiting for a new source of life-support.
(Remember, virus are part of our ancestry and DNA!)

This is the wonder and power of evolution through natural selection--
The thing called life, maintaining a hold on life,
In an ever-changing environment requiring constant adaptation.

The Longevity Bottleneck Hypothesis opus 447

For a long time now, humans have sought a longer life span.
Some slow progress has been accomplished.
There may be, however, something in our deeper past
That has caused our lack of accumulated years.
The name for this has been dubbed the 'Longevity Bottleneck Hypothesis'.
Because dinosaurs found the newly evolved mammals to be quite tasty,
The predation on these small, fuzzy creatures gradually increased.
For more than 100 million years dinosaurs were the dominant predator,
While mammals were usually small, nocturnal, and short-lived.
Thus dinosaurs 'forced' mammals through predation to lose or inactivate
Genes and pathways associated with long life.
In other words, rapid reproduction was more adaptive for survival!
Remember, this is an hypothesis,
(A scientific theory has to be proven from many valid hypotheses),
So it is not accepted by all, but just like the efforts to reactivate the dinosaur tail
In a chicken, reactivation of our 'longevity genes' might result in a similar consequence:
Are we really accomplishing beneficial outcomes--creating little 'chicken dinosaurs',
Or perhaps worse, thousands of really old people who may lack productivity?

My Neanderthal Past opus 451

I often think of those Neanderthals from my past;
Wondering just who coupled
With my first Homo sapiens mother.

Life Adaptable! opus 452

We live on a planet that rotates and is tilted in relation to its star (sun).
This, of course, creates day and night, climate, seasons,
And incidental weather.
Basically, then, we survive in a world of circadian rhythms.
'Circadian' means daily cycles within our 24 hours.
Our planet originally had a four hour cycle,
Until slowed down by the newly formed moon.
There appear to be many 'Goldilocks' planets which are 'tidally locked'--
In other words, have no rotation--
Rotationally frozen by the near proximity to their sun.
The conundrum created is a planet with eternal night and day.
Can life survive with continual darkness or absolute light?
Could there be a migration from dark to light, allowing rest and regeneration,
Creating a 'circadian' clock in space instead of in time?
Is sleep or rest actually needed for life to survive?
On our own planet, life occurs in complete darkness
In caves, in the sea depths, and within our own bodies!
Additionally, sea life thrives here in complete darkness
Next to boiling, chemical vents.
There are a myriad other ways that cycles could be created,
But the main point is that relentless life may be found
In almost any type of unpredictable situation.
We must be ready for the most bizarre of things to be,
And also to have our very comfortable theologies be shattered.

Time Revisited opus 453

Humans have created an illusion with the measurement of time.
Today, Daylight Savings Time (DST) ended at 0200 Hours, pushing the clock back.
Announcers and others cried out joyfully, "We have gained an hour!"
Likewise at autumn-time an opposite lamentation is heard.
Are we really so completely brainwashed?
Humans, as well as other Earthly life,
Are locked into a circadian rhythm coordinated with the sun.
Before the invention of clocks, no conflict occurred.
With clocks, humans could just coordinate more precisely,
But still not challenging their circadian rhythms.
Standard Time (ST) is basically coordinated with the sun and our bodies.
And it must be emphasized that light exposure is vital
For the health of our circadian rhythm and its proper functioning.
Most, including farmers, worked from sunup to sundown.
The clock often extended the work day from dawn to darkness,
But the circadian rhythm was not challenged or shifted.
Then, because of the rationales of war, farming,
And school children walking in the dark,
The subtle biological conflict of the sun vs clocks began.
With the artificial creation of Daylight Saving Time;
Nice for many now 'having' long summer evenings,
But, as warned by many psychologists, detrimental
To our cryptic, but very real circadian rhythm.

Now politics enters to raise its uninformed head;
Always considering votes, business, and a feeling of control.
Two years ago, I sent an email to all 50 senators,
Warning them of the pending chaos, if a free-for-all were allowed.
Only two states have thus far legislated for only Standard Time--AZ and HI.
If future states choose just what they desire, permanent DST or ST,
Our country will be a chaotic mosaic of time changes,
And, we do this not fully understanding the detriment to ourselves
Which manifests our normal circadian rhythms
Grinding against a seasonally changing time,
Part of the cycle being unhealthy for our very well being.

The Right-Handed, Left-Sided Elbow Phenomenon opus 454

If you have paid attention to someone conducting a public speech,
There are a few who seem to get a little emotional
And the left elbow starts to wave gently in and out.
I am assuming this occurs as a release of tension.
But why the left elbow?--I am deducing the speaker was right-handed.
I have no proof of this, but only 10% of us are left-handed,
So I conclude that I have not yet noted this with any lefties.
I am sticking my neck out with these observations,
But I have seen enough to come to an uneducated conclusion.
To go even a bit further, I believe I have seen the phenomenon
More in women than in men.

OK, check me out on this--
TV announcers and politicians make good fodder.
And please, try to observe something else equivalent of interest.
It is actually quite fun and keeps one's mind
On what could be an otherwise very boring speech!

Attempted Robbery opus 463

We all have seen reenactments of various robberies--
Banks, stagecoaches, in an alley, during war.
But have you actually been a part of and felt what it was like?
Around August 1973, I was on home leave from my African teaching job.
I was half way home in Rio de Janeiro for a stop over,
Spending an evening at the theatre, then walking back to the hotel,
where Pierre, my first born, (three months) and his mother were waiting.
I decided to take a short cut behind the main thoroughfare.
Walking in a lighted, but narrower area between buildings and the river,
I was commencing to pass by two 'guys' leaning against the railing.
As I passed, they suddenly confronted me with a small, silver pistol.
We spoke different languages, but I knew what they were demanding.
I was larger than they, so I talked, holding out my arms to appear large--
Just like Konrad Lorenze (an ethologist) had done, confronting a barracuda,
To ward off the giant fish while scuba diving--
And it seemed to work as they impatiently waved me on.
After saying 'Obrigado' I moved away, but decided on a strategy;
In case they tried to shoot me in the back,
I ran with a premeditated zigzag to avoid a clear shot.
No shot occurred and I was most relieved as I rounded a right corner.

Was I afraid? As I remember 50 years later,
I was seized with adrenalin and tenseness, but not with fear.
It passed through me as an extreme event in life
And not a pending tragedy with possible wounding or death.
No matter what, it still remains vividly in my memory.

Our Gladiator History opus 468

Our early species eventually lived in small groups.
Violence was usually occasional, but real.
Later, male Homo sapiens ritualized warfare in 'theatre'.
Cultures even used heads of the vanquished
As a ball, to play games of sport.
Then came the Romans and the gladiator era.
Often slaves or conquest-ones fought and died for status.
Crowds of fellow humans came to watch their usual demise.
Today, many participate in war games and reenactments.
Also, we delight and enjoy our (generally)
Bloodless but very competitive sports.
And we add to all that the vicarious entertainment
Of films and 'pods' depicting violence of one sort or another.
Why is it, fascinated drivers slow down and gawk at traffic accidents?

I sadly conclude that we are a species which basically and really,
Enjoys even vicarious violence upon each other.

Search for Purpose opus 472

'Search for Purpose' is the title of a book by Arthur Morgan,
A self taught engineer and later president of Antioch College in Ohio.
Morgan thus later followed Horace Mann, the enlightened first Antioch president.
Under Morgan a work-study program--the Co-op Program-- was established,
Where students had to combine academics with real-world jobs.

At any rate, the book describes that purpose is discovered and created,
And that one needs to plan, always having several life pathways ready,
In case a first choice is not feasible to accomplish.
My choices were careers in music, religion, or biological sciences.
Religion dropped to a study of interest only,
While music was greatly fulfilled with my orchestral pursuits,
But the study, learning and fascination in biology won out.
Slowly, this evolved into field biology, conservation, and related
small farming.
After much thought and anguish, what I have done is now there and manifested:
An educational, experimental small farm, working with children,
A successful educational land trust,
Protecting open space which harbors native flora and fauna,
And a writing attempt to teach, provoke thought and preserve my
thoughts in life.
I guess my deep and most important activity, including the present,
Is to always stimulate thought in others to question and understand
Why we are here in our condition and to relate ourselves to human and
natural history.
It has been a challenging, but fruitful sojourn during this one-time experience.

The Beaching Enigma opus 474

Recently a pod of 30 Pilot whales beached themselves on a coast of Australia.
Many human volunteers rushed to the crisis with sheets,
Rolled each cetacean into the makeshift hammock
And floated them back into deeper surf to once again be free.
It is still a mystery as to why whales make this fatal mistake.

As a result of an educated, understanding human population,
Creatures who were hunted almost to extinction,
Now are rescued, with great effort, to continue to live.

The moral may be that an enemy or prey species,
Through education and understanding,
Can become an ally or a non-hunted one.
Compassion and realization and edification can make a difference
As to how we humans might at least relate to the rest of our world.

Ants as a Vector opus 482

A Pennsylvania eight-year-old boy thought he saw ants transporting
seeds to their nest.
This phenomenon is called myrmecochory and the seeds are with
Structures called elaiosomes which entice ants with nutrient-rich fats.
In the nest the ants remove the elaiosomes and leave the seed to later
germinate.
This helps seed dispersal as well as feeding the ants!
Instead of seeds, the boy, Hugo, had discovered the ants were
collecting oak galls.
(This basically rewrites 100 years of insect and plant interactive history!)
Galls are abnormal plant growths (often on oaks) induced by some wasp species.
The gall feeds and protects the larva growing from the wasp egg laid inside.
Oak galls have a structure named 'kapello' from the Greek for 'cap'.
These 'kapellos' (actually, 'kapelli') are also rich in fatty acids to
attract ants.
Similarly, the ants eat the 'kapelli', leaving the gall and larva inside intact,
Which once again gives similar shelter for the encapsulated intact larva.
Both phenomena either attract or exploit ant behavior.
The fatty acids in both structures mimic dead insects,
And ants, being scavengers, are attracted to what seems to be usual food.
This mimicry 'makes certain' these evolutionary strategies
Blur the lines between plant and animal adaptations.
Experimentation showed only similar ant behavior with the two structures.
If oak trees are lost, disruption would occur between ants, wasps, and galls.
This is another example of a vital ecological network
And that ecosystems are certainly interconnected.
We must preserve biodiversity, much of it by controlling the climate crisis.

Avalie is Coming to Visit opus 490

I have a colleague who announced he has a daughter, named Avalie,
Who had heard stories from him about me as a biologist
And wanted to talk with me
About biology, with which she has become very passionate.
I am very pleased and wait for her visit with anticipation.

I did ask her father what Avalie actually meant
And he replied she was named after a beautiful mare,
When she started her life in Kwazulu, Africa.
(She is as profound an African as her father.)
What a beautiful name--
Of Latin, British, German, Hebrew, and Persian origins.
Avalie is a modern variant of the classic name Ava.
Ava may have originated from the Latin 'Avis',
Meaning 'bird' or 'life' or 'living'.
Ava is often linked to the Hebrew name 'Hava', meaning 'life',
And the Persian Ava, meaning 'voice' and 'sound' or 'strength' and 'desire'.
Also Avalie has Scandinavian origins: 'Ava' for 'ruler' and 'lie' for
protection.
The latter name evokes a sense of power, confidence, and charisma.

Well, this is a result of some of my research,
Concerning this unusual and beautifully meaningful name.
This young woman, backed by such a plethora of nominal meanings,
Can only go upwards in life, with her studies and future profession.

The Romantic Tumbleweed opus 493

The tumbling Tumbleweed--a Western cowboy song
Which many are able to easily humm.
But sadly, and realistically, this innocent plant
Is a voracious non-native invader from Russia.
Tumbleweed seed was brought into South Dakota
In the 1870's by Russian immigrants,
Contaminating flax seed accompanying them.
Millions of dollars have been spent
To attempt to eradicate this ubiquitous weed.
The song romanticises the poetic tumbling of this floral form,
When actually with each tumble,
It is distributing yet ever-more seed.
This physical means of distribution is devastating,
Engineering yet another non-native to spread throughout the West.

Things are not always what they seem until time often passes,
And knowledge with accurate facts becomes known.

The White-crowned Sparrow opus 510

Beautiful White-crowned Sparrow, so plain--as a sparrow should be--
But with those black and white stripes on your crown,
The contrast constantly catches my eye and attention.
So little to attract a human's gaze--just the same as those lines
Attract a desirous female, which is what they are supposed to do!

An Unidentified Invader opus 526

In biology an apex invader is defined as
Being especially influential and powerful in shaping the environment.
The effects of its invasion is paramount with its name.
The Global Invasive Database has defined the 100 top invaders,
From a plant like kudzu to a bird like the European Starling,
The Norwegian Rat. All these and many more
Have caused chaos and great expense for concerned societies.
The one invader which has not been recognized
In this long list of destructive transplants
Is Homo sapiens or us--our very own species.
Humans have ravaged the world,
Causing great destruction and extinction of other species.
We are now at a point where we are
Causing havoc, not only to our very own world,
But the mass Sixth Extinction on our planet.
(Remember, the Fifth was that asteroid
And the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.)
We are polluting our surroundings with CO2, methane and plastics.
The enigma is that if one enters 'humans' into the Invasive Database,
Nothing comes up. This is pure egocentrism topped with conceit!

The Fate of Two Sons opus 530

The recent incident in Venezuelan waters reminded me
Of my Antioch Co-op job (1963) at a whale processing plant in California.
I was hired as a Federal employee to collect samples
From whales taken in that Pacific area, during the closedown
Of the last USA whaling station near Point Richmond.
(During that time, my brother, John, 20 years old,
Had been shot in the back by a hunter, perhaps miles away,
Who fired in the air, with no backing to shield the bullet's trajectory.
There was no sound as he dropped to the ground.)

Filmed by his father, a son with his packraft
Was taken into the mouth of a whale!
"I saw blue and white; I felt slime against my face and smelled the bad breath."
"I was released and I and my rubber boat were again on the surface!"
Father and son had been paddling to a nearby island to explore.
When asked if they would attempt to venture there again,
They both agreed they would definitely try once more.
The Humpback Whale could not have been able to swallow him,
He being spared because of the whale's narrow throat.
If one were swallowed (only possible by a Sperm Whale),
The acids in the four stomachs and lack of air would have been fatal.

My brother was lost and this young man was wonderfully spared.

Origins of Spoken Language opus 533

The first spoken languages probably developed
50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Some hypotheses claim early forms in primal Homo species
May go back as far as 2 million years ago.
Prehistoric languages evolved from
Simple vocalizations to ever-greater complexity.
Modern humans have developed advanced linguistic skills.
This is most likely due to a genetic mutation,
Playing a vital role in the emergence of human speech.
There is a human-specific variant of the NOVA 1 gene,
Absent in Neanderthals and Denisovans,
Leading to spoken language.
All this advance results from a single amino acid change
In the NOVA 1 gene.
As we speak to each other, think now and then,
That this ability may be due to that small amino acid change.

Only Two Sexes! opus 535

Our new (and repeat) president has declared there are only two sexes.
Scientific studies and enquiries show there are many more orientations.
Of course, there is now political reaction
Against these restricted, officially declared dual sexual orientations.
Perhaps history will replicate itself as, for instance,
Occurred in Black Sports History.
Blacks were ostracized from baseball,
So they created the infamous Black Leagues,
After which Whites, upon seeing the potential value of Black players,
And posing Jackie Robinson as the 'change agent',
Blacks are now dominant in the baseball legacy.
Prejudice and hate sometimes melt into a new positive reality.

Our Attraction to Flowers opus 536

Why is it that flowers are so important for humans?
The desire to have flowers in our lives
For ceremonies--both secular and religious--, love gifts,
Or simply because one wishes to gift something
To another for no reason at all!
To think this through, what stage in a plant's life
Comes following the beautiful, scentful floral sequence?
Well, korms, bulbs, nuts, fruits are the most usual result.
An hypothesis put forward is very logical--
If the genome of a human programs memory
Where it sees flowers and takes note of their location,
The human will return to that spot later,
When the edible harvest has developed.
This behavioral trait may have been innate for survival,
As much as our 'natural' fear of snakes
May also be beneficial for survival.

A Source of Emotion. (A true tale.) opus 539

A father was informed that his son's car had struck a deer.
The father then drove to the son's side to give aid and comfort.
The car was damaged, but drivable.
The son was emotional and even in tears.
Upon calming down, father and son, then returned home.

With analysis, an interesting and in depth enquiry might now be asked.
Were the understandable flow of tears a result of
Self emotion? Compassion for a killed deer?
Or both of these sources of emotion, resulting in those tears?

Perhaps the Fastest Evolving Animal in the US! opus 541

The American Spiny Lizard is changing--evolving--before our very eyes.
This remarkable lizard resides in the southwestern US,
And studies show its genetic shifts are occurring much faster than expected.
Climate Change, urban expansion and predator pressure
Are giving fuel to its rapid evolution.
Most species have evolved over long periods of time--
This lizard in a few decades.
Noteworthy is its developing resistance to toxins of invasive fire ants,
Including a thicker skin and faster reflexes, evading the ants' attacks.
Also urbanization is causing faster adaptation
To hotter temperatures, with fewer sheltering areas.
Studies demonstrate that urban dwellers
Have higher heat tolerance than rural counterparts.
With shifting metabolism, they remain active in temperatures normally fatal.
Camouflaging colors have also shifted, blending in better
With concrete and human structures.
More noteworthy is the discovery that behavioral adaptations may be learned!
Not just on instinct, these lizards watch, adapt, and problem-solve--
Especially the urban individuals who out-performed their rural cousins,
By better navigating obstacles, escape traps, even recognize patterns.
These results have major implications as to how animals
Will cope with a rapidly changing planet.
This certainly is evolution resulting from natural selection.

Many lizards are thriving in human-altered environments,
Seeking out heat-retaining structures and artificial water sources.
Will these changes cause developmental switches
To create an even more different species?
This all demonstrates that 'Nature' is more flexible than ever imagined.
The question is what other species are changing right before our eyes?
Even our own species might follow this same pattern of adaptation.
Nature seems to always find a way and never, generally, stands still.
(Of course this group of lizards includes our local (Davis, CA)
'Blue Belly' or Western Fence Lizard.)

Our Human Family Tree opus 544

The human family tree now seems
To be not a single line of ancestors,
But it appears there was a population split
1.5 million years ago and a reuniting 300,000 years ago.
Analyzing modern human DNA shows that one
Of these isolated populations was genetically dominant.
Along the way, humans shared genes
With Denisovans and Neanderthals.
The ancient mixing event 300,000 years ago
Resulted in only about 20 percent of modern human genes
Coming from a minority population.
The larger (80 percent) ancestral population
Contributing to modern humans,
Also appears to have been ancestral
To Denisovans and Neanderthals.
Some of the genes from the ancient minority (20%) population,
Importantly, contributed brain function and neural processing,
Playing a crucial role in human evolution.
Was one of these ancient populations possibly
Homo erectus and as yet an unknown Homo?

A Fortunate Old Man opus 546

I have many memories of 'good' and 'bad':
It is all relative.
I have reasonable health.
I have warm or cool shelter--
Depends on the season.
I have nourishment--
Recycled, roadkill, entomophagous, or deluxe.
I have activities to keep my mind astute--
Conservation efforts, writing, fundraising,
Discourse with those who wish to engage;
Tending and feeding my animals--
From fish (Bettas), to bird (emu),
To reptile (Bearded Lizards), to mammal (Angus calf):
I have them all--my constant companions.
I have occasional friendly visitors
Who gift me bits of wonderful food
And to some, in return, I donate some remuneration
For various student and conservation causes;
But, most profoundly, my two boys (men),
Who check in on me, converse with me, help me,
And keep my faculties honed to sharpness.
It could be far worse.

Why the Difference in Human and Neanderthal Faces? opus 549

Neanderthals had stout jaws, broad noses, with features jutting forward.
Modern humans have modest and meek faces--flat and delicate.
The human face stops growing during adolescence (neoteny),
While the chimp and Neanderthal faces grow periodically longer,
Thus resulting in elongated, more 'robust' features.
Bone formation and bone resorption sculpt the facial bones
The Neanderthal face demonstrated 'restructuring' for a longer period,
The growth projecting forward, especially around the nose and cheeks.
This facial form may have aided their breathing and chewing.
In humans the early slowing of growth in adolescence,
Also showed less bone resorption, thus less cellular activity.
This gracilization as for humans, becomes more delicate in form,
Yields thinner bones, smaller muscles, and flatter faces.
Some reasons why are hypothesized: cooking and eating softer food;
Brain size, evolving larger, pushed the face down and in;
Or possibly the 'self-domestication' hypothesis,
Stating the selection resulted in more sociable,
Less aggressive appearing individuals.
Compare this to the domestication of dogs
Yielding floppy ears, curved tails, and shorter snouts.
The 'how' we now know, but the 'why' is yet to be discovered!

Cloth vs Paper? opus 552

Online, a writer was complaining about the terrible thinness of napkin-plys.
He wondered if there were someone who could recommend a thicker-ply brand.
I emailed back the following: 'Please, save trees and,
Since you obviously are very cognizant, concerning napkins,
Use good-old cloth napkins, where thickness cannot be rivalled,
Having feel and quality which are superb.
(Just throw them occasionally in with your regular wash.)
We are a throwaway society and by which, such actions
Could result in a small, but important ripple effect.
Do consider other things in your life-use which could also be modified.
If we do not consider these actions now,
Our children and grandchildren will certainly pay.'

Elizabeth Vrba (1942 - 2025) opus 565

These are some thoughts of Elizabeth Vrba,
A great, but lesser known evolutionary biologist:
'Evolution is not always slow with incremental changes,
But, rather, evolution moves in bursts,
Or abrupt waves of extinction and speciation'--
According to her 'Turnover Pulse' hypothesis,--
'As a result of great climate upheavals.'
She also worked on 'exaptation', the process where traits evolve
For one function, and later are co-opted for another.
She studied 'stimulated paleontology' for a better predictive precision.
'The fossil record is not a static archive,
But a dynamic record of nature's upheavals.'
'Species are shaped by external forces,
Not by internal biological pressures:
Thus, as a result of environmental changes from shifts in climate--
Not always random, nor by gradual competition.'
'The survival of the generalist is greater than that of the specialist.'
Her advocacy of her thoughts and hypotheses will be missed,
But as time and knowledge increases,
More of her thoughts may be actually demonstrated.

22 April 2025--Earth Day opus 570

Pope Francis died on the morning of 21 April,
Just after Easter and the day before Earth Day.
He was a leader who completely understood
The slow, steady change and demise of our world
In relation to human, animal, and plant life as well as
To those who can no longer conduct profitable farming,
Nor to those who are potential refugees of violence and armed entities.

The pope will be buried in a simple wooden coffin,
Among others who were the poor of Rome, Italy.
Now the question is, who will be chosen for that next leader?
In addition, it would be nice if more unified attention would be given
To the contributions of the Dalai Lama and leaders
Of the Jewish, Muslim, and other major religions.
The dominance of the magnificence of the papacy
Must be juxtaposed with the theology of other religious leaders.
That would be to the good of our diverse populations.

(Note: Today, 25 May 2025, we may have just that,
Partly by means of a new American pope,
Who seems to be already including many others.)

Can a Monkey Really Read? opus 592

In Hong Kong, monkeys have been witnessed
Destroying something very relevant to their outreach--
Namely, signs which read: 'Do Not Feed the Monkeys!'

There's Carbon dioxide, But What of Methane? opus 595

There is great awareness (by many, but far too few),
Of the slow metamorphosis of our atmosphere
From increasing CO2 levels which is causing warming
And thus melting of our great ice sheets
As well as dangerous acidification of our seas.
But now consider, with warming of our planet,
The slow, but steady melting of the tundra,
With simultaneous release of methane from the frozen organic matter.
(Yes, we also observe methane escaping from gas wells,
And many other 'leaking' sources about the planet, as well.)
Sinking roads and villages are becoming obsolete, demanding abandonment.
Moreover, when one descends underground
Into the experimental deep pits below the surface,
The immediate stench of decaying material is more than evident.
This will be the future great challenge for the human population.
Will the O2/methane balance remain in favor of O2?
Be reminded of the methane (reduction) atmosphere of the past,
And how stromatolites overwhelmed all life,
With their need for CO2 and their exhaled O2,
Shifting our atmosphere to what we know today.

A New Stab at Creating Abiogenesis-Life opus 600

The 1953 Miller-Urey experiment utilized an abiogenesis method
To create life (or at least some amino acids),
From non-living molecules which included
Ammonia, methane, hydrogen, and water all subjected
To an electric bolt to simulate lightning.

A new parallel experiment included electrical exchange between
Charged water droplets in a mist with a diameter of 1 to 20 microns.
Large droplets were positively charged and small, negatively charged.
Also present in that mist was ammonia, CO2, methane, and nitrogen.
During this process carbon-nitrogen molecular bonds were formed.
The charged water droplets emitted light and spark,
Yielding a chemical transformation.
The idea is that lightning may have been too infrequent to 'create' life,
But water spray might have been a more likely scenario--
The mist-generated microlightning, giving rise to amino acids and life!

An alternative hypothesis is still ever-present:

Hydrothermal ocean vents produce amino acids
With the combination of seawater, hydrogen-rich fluids
And the extreme pressure, deep below the sea.

Still another hypothesis is that organic molecules are formed in space
And carried (panspermia) by comets or fragments of asteroids

Whatever turns out to be correct on our 'Blue Marble',
We realize that water is the important, crucial element for life--
More important in the life-producing process than formerly acknowledged.

The Intriguing Trilobite opus 601

Six hundred million years ago a modest-sized sea creature
Evolutionarily emerged onto earth's oceanic stage.
This creature was first 'discovered' in the 17th century,
By an Englishman, who noticed a body divided into three segments.
He designated this group improperly, but named them TRIlobites,
Because of the three basic portions of the shelled body.
That name has stuck for this generally well-known fossil group.
Over the 270 million years' reign, 25,000 various species evolved.
Those who are familiar with the wonderful morphology of these Arthropods,
The majority would not be able to describe the ventral side of this creature,
As the lower portion of soft parts almost never were fossilized.
After studying this group for a while,
Curiosity overcame me and I had to investigate.
No wonder only a very few ventral fossilizations have been observed--
There are a mass of legs, two antennae, mouth parts--
Mostly soft structures which normally do not fossilize.
Being a biologist, 'discovering' a new view on life,
I experienced here one of those 'highs of discovery'.
These are the things that can give discerning and inquisitive humans
A feeling of worth and joy by being a thinking and discovering person.

More Guns and More Gas opus 602

As the numbers of guns increase,
So also, shall more mindless deaths.

As earthly CO2 levels increase,
So shall the entire world be profoundly affected.

And, now--the newer challenge of Methane as the Arctic thaws;
How might we humans react to this even more profound challenge?

The Weight of Two X Chromosomes opus 605

Could there truly be a benevolent, all-knowing deity creator?
Just compare the relative ease with which men (X/Y) 'sail' through life,
While women (X/X), the absolute necessity for the continuation of human life,
Must go through such relative torment to be bearers of that life.
Large breasts--unlike any other ape-- are permanently formed--
A possible platform for cancer.
Then menstruation, continually forming 'ripe' eggs
(But inconveniently in between the bleeding periods),
Until one is finally nabbed by a sperm to create an offspring.
Birth, often very difficult or deadly,--
And then several years of producing milk to feed such offspring--
Sometimes too much with accompanying pain and other times, paucity.
Then the female is discarded from reproductive abilities,
Through the process of menopause--far sooner in life than her male counterpart.
What makes this all happen,
Is that women are endowed with a longing for an offspring--a child.
And thus, such longing, masks the clear thinking,
Concerning all the trials she must go through (sometimes alone),
Allowing human kind to reproduce and multiply for the benefit of the species.

Grooming May Be the Undoing of Vampire Bats opus 606

Vampire Bats drink blood of course, but they also spread rabies.
A campaign was launched to eradicate these bats
Near areas where cattle abounded and were affected.
Utilizing the knowledge that Vampires groom themselves and each other,
Poisons were used to smear on the hair of captured bats,
Which would return to their colonies to groom and spread the poisons.
Killing the bats was working, except for the fact
That as the colony declined, the remaining bats dispersed,
Spreading the rabies elsewhere. Not good.
Then a vaccine for rabies was substituted
Thus, not affecting the bats, except to inoculate them to be rabies-free.
It was not the taste of the 'potion', but rather the intense behavior
Of the bats to get rid of this terrible stuff off their backs and pass it on!

Recognition of the Skewed Nose opus 609

Being a biologist, I often look at the morphology of humans,
As well as that of fellow creatures.
I am fascinated, for instance, as to how a female newscaster might be chosen--
Certainly the ability to speak and relate the news,
But also, assuredly, from an attractive appearance.
I have a little game, 'nosing in' on the orientation of the other's 'nose-appearance'.
I often see a very attractive newscaster with a quite offset nose position.
Is such a morphology simply overlooked or not even contemplated upon?
For me, this might be one of the important criteria to contemplate.
There are many causes of nose orientation--I am considering those of minor causes.
The type of crooked nose or deviated septum occurs when the septum leans to one side.
About 80% of humans have some degree of deviated septum!
Causes might be with issues of the bones, cartilage, or other tissues in the nose.
In addition, causes might also be from birth irregularities, injury, or results from surgery.
But, most often, a crooked nose is the result of a deviated septum.
By homing in on this feature, I can actually contemplate
One more interesting feature of the human aspect.

Mimicry opus 610

As a child, I was always fascinated with mimicry in nature.
Flies that evolved to depict bees and butterflies to mimic each other.
There are scores of examples--just get a good book!
As a New England boy, I was fixed on the Monarch/Viceroy phenomenon.
The Monarch caterpillar feeds and survives on milkweed with all its toxins.
The adult emerges crystalis-wise as a toxic adult, flashing warnings of red.
Young birds, et al, soon learn of this terrible taste,
And are severely dissuaded from preying on this deceptively delicious morsel.
Somehow, along comes a similarly red tidbit, but delicious--the Viceroy.
Over time the Viceroy butterfly evolved ever-closer to better mimic the Monarch.
The Viceroy is tasty--the Monarch is not.
Selection and adaptation finally favored both these species.
As my thinking progressed, and just for fun, I looked at human 'mimicry'.
This was not genetic, but rather behavioral mimicry.
Consider the Romans invading the Celtic world with a plethora of red-haired women.
The warriors brought the tales of these exotic-looking females
Back to their dark-haired women.
Soon, red hair dyes were concocted to be equal to that of the attractive Celts,
Thus confirming my thoughts concerning the notion of behavioural mimicry.
Who knows, in addition, what genetic mutations might have resulted from such?
Just a Thought!

(Because of increased scientific knowledge a portion
of this poem is incorrect. See 'Mimicry Refined' opus 619).

A Story of the American Bullfrog opus 618

American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus, used to be Rana sp.)
Were introduced into California in the late 1800's (1896?).
The main thrust was to form a basis for a new food industry!
In addition, thoughts featured the pet industry and recreational purposes.
During the Gold Rush, miners ate up to 80,000 Red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) a year.
This nearly wiped out that native population of frog,
Thus, the concept for a new food industry in the State.
But hungry miners are not a model to be used for a less hungry general population.
Frog legs were commonly consumed pre-1900 and thousands of pounds
Were even annually harvested and exported throughout the US.
When the demand for frog meat was not realized,
The captive frogs were released into the wild, causing ecological havoc,
By disrupting the delicate balance of California's ecosystems.
Female Bullfrogs lay clutches of up to 20,000 eggs, twice a year.
These frogs consume a wide range of prey, including
Aquatic eggs, insects, fish, birds (including young ducklings) and small mammals,
Some of which are native species, already threatened or endangered.
Bullfrogs are carriers of chytridiomycosis which has devastated amphibians worldwide.
Their presence has led to changes in nutrient cycling and water quality.
Bullfrogs are so adaptable, that it is difficult to manage control.
Just the cost to the State attempting control has been very expensive.
On a positive note, these frogs are now used in research,
Studying developmental biology, physiology, and ecology.
When introducing a non-native species of any kind, one must always be aware
Of the unintended consequences which may result.

(Note: I first looked into this introduced species,
Suspecting that the Calaveras Frog Jumping Contest
May have been the source for this introduction,
But the Contest was just part of the whole phenomenon.)

A Radioactive Wasp Nest? opus 619

A radioactive wasp nest was discovered
In a South Carolina site which formerly made parts for nuclear bombs.
There are routine radiation checks and the nest was found
Near where tanks of liquid nuclear waste is stored.
The radiation level was 10 times allowed by federal regulations.
The nest was sprayed with insecticide and disposed of.
No leak appeared from the waste tanks.
The nest seemed to be radioactive from residual radioactivity.
There is yet no conclusion from where the actual radioactivity came.
Of course, there is the possibility of another such contaminated nest,
If there is a positive leak somewhere.
Some wasps use dirt and others use other materials to construct their nests.
It therefore may be crucial to know the type of wasp nest. (Yes, absolutely!)
There may be no public danger, as wasps fly near their nests.
It is assumed that the wasps' radioactive level would have been lower than the nest.
This is a wrinkle in the radioactive 'danger story'.

Mimicry Refined opus 620

(See previous thought 'Mimicry' opus 608)

Well, there are advantages and disadvantages to living so long.
For me, the subject of mimicry appears to be one.
A wonderful naturalist friend caught this in my last Mimicry prose-poem,
Namely, that I grew up learning the Monarch butterfly was toxic
And that the Viceroy mimic was 'spared', while still being a tasty morsel.
This type of mimicry is called Batesian mimicry.
In the 1990's, it was discovered that the Viceroy was also toxic.
I had not caught up with this new knowledge,
Thus erroneously so wrote in the previous 'Mimicry'.
This other classification is called Muellerian co-mimicry,
Where, in this case, both species are mimics and both are toxic.
This results in an even stronger defence for the two species.
To make things more complicated,
The Viceroy is mimicked by the Queen and Soldier butterflies,
Both of which are also toxic! In this region, Monarchs are rare.
Will wonders never cease?

Is the Sky Really Blue? opus 625

Most every day we are living under a 'deceptively-covering dome'.
It is the sky. Is the sky really the blue we all see?
Well, actually, no.
Simply explained, blue light in our atmosphere
Is scattered more than red light, thus the blue sky.
Remember how light is skewed through a prism.
If this is so, then why is it that we don't see a violet sky?
Think of photons bouncing off molecules of air.
But there is a difference between photons and air molecules.
One difference is that the amount of scattering
Depends on the wavelengths (color) of the light.
Shorter wavelengths of light scatter more.
Starting with red to violet (ROY G. BIV),
The wavelengths go from long to short--
So the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more.
Thus our sky appears blue from all the scattered blue light.

Also sunsets can appear red because blue light is scattered away,
Resulting in a reddish looking sunset.
But still, why doesn't the sky appear violet?
Violet has an even shorter wavelength than blue,
Therefore violet should be scattered more than blue.
So why does the sky not appear violet, or even a violet-blue?
Actually the sky is violet, but appears blue
Because of how our eyes function!
But that is another story.

Sulphur Butterfly Migration opus 641

Well, it's that time. Small yellow butterflies massacred on the roads.
Here, west of Davis, they seem to be migrating southwest.
It is not only the Monarch that migrates (north and south)--
Other species including the aforementioned Yellow Sulphurs do the same,
Although their migration pattern is much more local.
Dispersal of species assures new feeding grounds,
New opportunities to mate, and more favorable 
Overwintering of adults, larvae, or eggs.

Just think of the massive human migrations--
New territory, new hunting, new interaction with potential mates.
All life is quite similar in its quest for survival.
New territory depicts new opportunities.
Will we really inhabit the moon or mars?
To some, seems foolish, but there are always those dreamers.

Another View of Death opus 642

A man was walking in a field with his daughter.
The two came upon the carcass of a mouse.
The father, seeing this as an opportunity to discuss death,
Begins to talk with his daughter.
The young child notices the masses of ants covering the mouse body.
The father realizes that the subject must now include decomposition,
And gently urges the girl to come away.
Walking a 'ways from the body, the girl turns back to the mouse.
She continues to watch the ants moving over and in the corps,
And turns to her father, "Look how these ants love this mouse!"
The yet untutored mind of a child, 
Often yields an unexpected, creative conclusion.

(This account reminds me of the two previous observations I made
about Rowan (g-son) and the opossum body found in our field.)

A Rusophycus opus 664

As I now age, I find I need to rest occasionally.
A baby also needs rest, and the elderly follow the same pattern.
My interest in Trilobites was at first
Limited to a collection of various Trilobite specimens.
One day I discovered a resting place or burrow (Rusophycus) fossil.
Its form is a rounded, elongated fossil mound.
The specimens available are relatively scarce, but now that I am aware,
I come across a number of these wonderful specimens online.
Of course, as said, I now need rest, just as much as the Trilobite!
Trilobites rested, but also would settle down into the mud to hide from predators,
Such as the voracious Eurypterids or 'sea scorpions'.

('Rusophycus is the resting/ feeding activity trace of the once present animal,
recording the outline of the trace maker, in this case the Trilobite.
On occasions the Cruziana will also be present; this is the trace or track,
made when the organism moved to, or from, that spot.')

Genetic Captures opus 691

Humans have genetically 'captured' the ancient Aurochs,
Found in the ancient French and Spanish cave paintings,
To develop domestic cattle for meat and milk.
The Red Jungle Fowl (with a slight touch of the Gray Jungle Fowl)
Was a wild Southeast Asian bird, now the commercial hen.
The wild European Honey Bee, now domesticated to a tame productive insect.
Domestic swine, so important in many diets, 
Was genetically 'manipulated' from several wild boar stocks.
The magnificent Scottish Clysdale, a warhorse 'stolen' from the English Shire,
Both derived from the tiny North American-evolved horse ancestor.

So have plants coevolved through selection
To become domestic corn, tomatoes, wheat, rice, potatoes, and pot.
Even the home, internally and externally, now harbors
Domestic plant beauties once again genetically captured:
Tulips, roses, daffodils, narcissus, all producing beautiful blooms,
To trees for shade as well as bonsai for artistic wonder.
The whole human biome is completely surrounded 
With genetically altered plants and animals for human use and pleasure.
Nature has always manipulated life (natural selection),
And humans have followed suit (artificial selection).
Indeed, what a masterful teacher for humans to attempt to emulate.

True Death or Nature's 'Coverup'? opus 695

'The death of summer's life is manifested
In autumn's final magnificence.'

What I recently composed, poetically,
Sounds nice and superficially accurate,
But those trees with all their autumnal colors
Have not died--just the leaves--
The trees are resting for another season.
Perennial grasses still live beneath the soil's surface.
Although the Annuals' form which dies from crown to root--
Their broods of summer-seed offspring lie tucked in the duff,
Waiting for the catalyst of the Spring-sun's rays of warmth.  
The Conifer remains green, but with reduced life-activity,
Thus, deceptively alive, but resting, 
As its deciduous cousins openly exhibit.
So, as so explained, to the novice and uninformed,
What appears dead is just survival during an adverse time period,
As we also must rest to compose ourselves during a time of stress.

Our Coevolution with the Cat opus 703

Those in the Fertile Crescent perfected agriculture--
Organizing fields with seed saved from the previous year.
Random wandering to discover those tiny seed-gems
Became obsolete as a manner of food gathering.
Success of harvesting increased to a point
Where huge numbers of grain were amassed.
Methods of storage for the pending year challenged populations-- 
Those tiny rodents soon discovered that 'grain mine',
Slowly gnawing away at the food supply of the human suppliers.
Also arriving on the scene were wild cats,
Relishing the concentrated supply of those tiny mammals.
The humans realized the value of cat-presence,
Naturally combating and aiding in the control of those little munchers.
Soon, especially in Egypt, cats rose to the level of the sacred.
They were mummified and slipped into the sarcophagi of their owners.
Now, cats roam in many places uncontrolled,
Just like Rock Doves, which switched from cliffs to tall buildings. 
These days, human activities somewhat affect 
Most all other creatures' ways of life,
Except for bacteria, and more, viruses, which still hold power over us.
We cannot yet mold them genetically into the form we wish,
Except for ever-continued research, which medically wards them off!

Being Touched by an Elephant's Trunk opus 708

As a child, I adored animals of all kinds.
I studied the behavior, flight and silhouettes of the birds around me.
I had a worm farm in a big jar,
Watching as they created ever-more tunnels next to the glass.
I observed as my rabbits mated, the buck falling over in ecstasy.
(I did not know then, that the act of mating,
Caused the spontaneous ovulation of the female.)
I saw the female pulling her breast hair to line a soft nest.
So many things for a young biologist to observe and take in.

My mother knew of my love for animals
And would take us to the Benson's Animal Farm in NH;
Of course, there were myriads of creatures for a youngster to see--
Reptiles, lions, African antelope, owls and an elephant.
One time, I approached the young tethered Asian pachyderm,
And stood in front of it--only a small chain fence separating us.
I reached out and the youngster extended its trunk.
What occurred then is now a blur in my mind.
But I felt its trunk curling around my hand--
Just the prehensile end it used to grasp food.
It pulled me gently, but firmly towards itself.
I was awakened, but not fearful.
We held that position for a few moments,
And then it let go--the soft wet end falling away.
Was this lonely elephant pulling me in,
Telling me that it desired to be free,
To tear off branches and to shower itself with dust?
I am not sure, but my young self, after that intimate moment,
Always felt an affinity for the last two of the many elephant species
Which roamed our earth in past evolutionary times 
Will these two huge pachyderm species actually survive
The ravages of the ever-expanding Homo sapiens 
Across its diminishing  homeland?

Trilobites and Sea Slugs, Equal Their Accumulation of Species Numbers opus 711

Five million years ago, Trilobites evolved onto the planet.
They endured almost 300 million years
And, given that time span, evolved into 25,000 species.
Today, we have a present group which has equaled that species number:
It is the Sea Slugs, related to our common garden 'pest'.
But far more elaborate, fending off aquatic predators from their soft body parts,
By warning with incredibly colorful hues and by ingesting poisonous plants,
Which yield them very unpalatable to the lurking predators.
Time and evolutionary success, is the formula for the huge numbers--
Each species having time to evolve into an ever-distinct niche.
Well, Homo evolved into several different specific variations,
But we, Homo sapiens, are the only remaining species of the group.
Might we extrapolate something from this outcome?
No longer do we have fellow species to challenge us in various niches.
It is clear we did not diverge enough, creating fierce competition,
(Perhaps also because of powerful brains and strong customs),
While these other two groups, Trilobites and Sea Slugs,
Diversified into contemporary life styles and niches,
But did not evolve so closely that competition increased.
We, Homo sapiens, have evolved as a singular genus and species,
But will our future be to overwhelm all other life on our Earth,
Or will our wisdom prevail, having a benevolent conservation approach
Towards our fellow interacting life-partners on this, our only planet?

Invaders!? opus 715

Today, 24 December 2025, after decades 
Of having bird feeders on my farm,
Two male House Sparrows came, for the first time, 
To feed with my other native sparrows.
As a biologist, so many thoughts and emotions went through me--
Non-native introductions, non-native competition,
Which ravage our state (and the world).
The ever-changing world through a biologist's eyes;
Visions of a hundred years from today and its then, reality.
New dynamics are ever-looming, most out of my control.

The Rivers Turn Red--A Winter Solstice Tale opus 719

Alaska is our greatest wild area remaining.
This is a place to be preserved as is, forever.
Temperatures are rising here, four times faster than elsewhere.
Ah, how nice;  harsh cold winters are diminishing.
But no, the rising temperatures are melting the frozen Tundra,
And slowly materials are being released from the soil.
The flow of melting slush has begun gravitating to the rivers,
And gradually these rivers are beginning their change.
The rivers' waters transformed 
From clear and crystalin to red pigmentation.
All from the neglect of our planetary home,
Our rivers, vessels of the planet, are bleeding before our eyes.

Watermelon Snow opus 722

Generally when we see or hear of the environment turning a false color,
A panic might start, realizing that something has gone awry.
Think of seashores gone red, or a pond choked with green.
Well, there is a phenomenon, about which one does not need alarm.
High in the mountains of the Rockies or during a cold Montana winter,
There are places where the snow turns red--a watermelon snow!
Not only red, but sometimes orange or green.
This is not caused by pollution, but rather by algae!
Studies result showing the colors are caused by different species,
Which are all cohabiting in the exact same place.
Of all the colors, the red species causes the snow to melt the fastest.
The algae are melting the snow to produce life-giving liquid water,
And, again, the red variety appears to melt the snow faster than the others.
One concern is how much the algae will speed up the melt time of our glaciers.
So, in spite of what will transpire with this new discovery,
To behold such bizarre and beautifully colored snow,
Gives one a feeling of awe and wonder for the world around us.

Man of the Earth--New Year's Thoughts opus 726

I have lived as a Man of the Earth,
Sharing the elements 
Of the world around me:

Searching for wood for the fire,
Hunting with a bow in a tree,
Dressed my own game and fish,
Fishing, casting a net into the air,
Harvesting flowers for the market,
Tapping the maple for sweet sap,
Building dams for aquaculture,
Listening to the cackling of the Canada Goose,
Learning the ways of the African bee,
Collecting mushrooms in Turkish forests,
Shot Guineafowl for my African safari,
Hand carved stone from the Earth's plentiful supply,
Was tattooed to join my Pictish family,
Repaired nets to seine my ponds,
Sun-dried figs for a winter's supply,
Sauteed crickets to supplement my protein,
Produced wine from the wild dandelion,
Taught children the ways of Nature,
Bore the kilt with the pride of tenacity,
Conducted music and played bass and cello for pure joy,
Fenced with the foil next to a Russian Master,
Marvelled at my five digit hand,
Opposed warfare of all sorts,
Enjoy the morphology of my female counterparts,
Salvage nourishing corn cobs from a dust bin,
Bred my own rabbits, horses, and dogs,
Have attended school with great eagerness,
I shape my own bandages for my great wound,
Surround myself with Desert Glass and Neanderthal tools,
Labored long, preserving space for wild things,
Communing with fellow creatures--domestic and wild,
I have resisted death from TB and leukemia,
Founded an Educational Farm Foundation,
Created the Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservancy, 
My wives, Maggi, Christine, and Nora were well chosen,
I have fathered two great singular boys.

Such have been my doings as a Man of the Earth.

The Mystery of Why Domestic Cats Have Vertical Pupils opus 729

Have you ever wondered why domestic cats have vertical pupils,
And in big cats like lions, tigers, jaguars, and pumas, the pupils are round?
The summary is this in the evolutionary story of various life cycles--

----Round pupils (humans, birds) give even focus across the entire
     depth of field during the day.
----Vertical pupils (cat, gecko) optimize depth perception, day and night.
----Horizontal pupils (goat, frog) optimize and give a panoramic
     field of view to detect predators.

These various pupil shapes are adaptations to their lifestyle.
Specifically, domestic cats are ambush predators 
And have a superior depth of field.
This allows them to better judge distance to their prey.
This pupil shape also helps cats to see side-to-side motions,
Making their small rodent prey easier to spot with their movements.
Unlike small domestic cats which are crepuscular actors,
Big cats which hunt diurnally and with round pupils,
Are capable of a clear focus across the entire long distance field of view.
Having vertical pupils, also gives its bearer camouflage,
As it breaks up the round shape of the eye,
And thus makes it harder for its prey to see the hidden predator.
There too, are geckos with vertical slits, having tiny round openings,
Cuttlefish with distinctive 'W'-shaped pupils,
And rays possessing crescent-shaped pupils.
Such aquatic species are benefitted by both round and horizontal pupils.
The other factors determining how an animal sees,
Are the number and distribution of rods and cones, 
Working in concert with pupil shape;
The shape of the lens is also important, for instance, 
In correcting chromatic aberration, resulting in excellent color vision.
So, wonder less about the different pupil shapes, because you now know!

Dinosaur Footprint Hunting opus 731

While teaching in Lesotho, Africa,
I had my first child, Pierre,
Who at two, 'followed' me around the countryside,
Collecting bees at night 
And finding dinosaur footprints in daylight.
This, all between my biology classes at the University.
One spectacular trip was to a large valley,
Where there were myriads of tumbled sandstone blocks,
Strewn randomly throughout the area.
I slowly walked amongst these boulders,
When suddenly I found my first prints.
A large, three-toed series of impressions,
Spread across the flat surface.
I carried with me plaster of paris, a water container,
Strips of cardboard and a clutch of paperclips.
I made a cardboard border around the print,
Tied together at the ends, with the necessary clips.
Water and plaster were mixed to a soft-solid consistency;
Then poured into the void, the print primed with vaseline.
Several prints were cast and then the waiting time.
Each was pulled up and removed, now in a solid state.
These prints were made in the seventies
And many remain today (2026) on my farm to our delight.
The five decades of preservation here on the farm,
Equals nothing to the 60 million years of waiting in the sandstone,
To be admired by humans today--
They, nowhere to be found during this creature's long past reign.

The Reverent Omnivore opus 735

I eat meat.  I like the taste of meat.
I have also butchered other creatures to eat meat.
So, I am, more than most, deeply involved.
Many arguments one way or the other.
(Humans have omnivorous dentition matching pigs and bears}, 
What could ever be the correct way?
I am now at the level where I contemplate
The pain or agony my food source experiences at harvest.
This helps, but I still like meat, at least in a measured way.
Turning to entomophagy, is my 'pain', less, consuming insects?
Upon purchase, one places the bagged stash in the freezer
To slowly pass into eternity from lack of warmth.
Life, no matter how one philosophizes,
Just plain needs energy to survive--
Vegetables exclusively?  The caveman diet of meat and fat?
Perhaps a solution is the 'Reverent Omnivore' way out.
Have that similar passion you feel, 
Also for the carrot ripped from the earth.
As well as the Kosher-blessed, properly butchered cow,
Bled correctly in the presence of a holyman! 

Meditations opus 736

A young couple stopped in Istanbul from India about 1972.
They had studied with the Maharishi,
Learning Transcendental Meditation.
They taught, giving us a mantra; each.

Meditation stayed with me, I reaching into it now and then.
The next real moment was in Egypt.
I was in the Great Pyramid with its long corridors of stone.
Being in a pyramid, I found a corner 
And produced my alpha waves
(Remember 'pyramid power' in the 70's?)
The moment of exultation was great,
Augmented by the largest of all pyramids.

Then a sojourn through Belize 
And its modest Maya pyramid structures.
Quietly returning to the area after dark,
I climbed the high, narrow steps of one to its summit.
I sat there with the moon, looking over the dense jungle,
And my mind, catalyzed by my mantras,
Sent alphas through me and the surrounding forest. 
I was at one, blending with encompassing Nature.

My alpha waves have given me balance through time.
How fortunate to have been on the path so long ago,
With those two tarrying teachers travelling home from India.
They have given me a levitation of my mind
And an aura which joins me with my world and my existence.

Finding a Loose Cow opus 738

This morning at 7, I received a text,
Reporting that a loose cow was sighted near my farm.
Jessie, my vitally important 'manager',
Arrived and called our Black Angus back through a gate.
A great relief for all of us here.
The escape place was found and repaired.
Lots of fresh grass to graze and daily supplementary grain--
So why the escape maneuver by this animal?
An Angus is a Scottish breed, perhaps 
With the Scots' desire to always be free!
From this incident, I was reminded of something from my past.
 
While in India, I followed a Mahaut 
With his working elephant for one day.
I was continually amazed that a small human
Had such complete control of a giant beast.
I relayed this to Jessie, that he was now a Mahaut of cows--
With kindness and training, relationships of all sorts
Can be formed, bringing many worlds into harmony.

The Airborne Turkeys opus 740

Wing beats, displacing the air.
My cohabiting wild turkeys
Are dispersing one by one
To their high roosting tree branches.
As they raise themselves into the air,
Powerful wing beats pull their bodies upward.
They rise over my narcissus flower beds
And, as they do so, displace air downward,
Inviting the white blossoms below
To momentarily dance in unison,
Delighting my eyes and my living core.

Defecation opus 750

One contemplates many things, while sitting on the John.
Pigeon pooh on my car; gull droppings on my picnic!
Disgusting, annoying, and just plain unclean.
With life, material must enter a body, willingly or not,
Is utilized and, unused portions must be excreted.
That is the pattern of life-maintenance on earth.
Comparing gull defecation to human waste dumps,
The gulls, though, lose in comparison.
With modern technology, humans 
Rarely contemplate their bodily waste.
Every modern child should really have a field trip,
Not just to a firehouse, but to a sewage processing plant, 
To view another vital profession.
Like the Romans, we today hide life's processes.
A farmer has no qualms about recycling his cow manure
To nurture his fields, spreading it from his 'honey wagon'.
('Honey wagon' was the term my New York grandfather used.
For the device that spread manure over his fields.)

New Avian Competition on My Feeder opus 756

I have inhabited my small farm in Davis, California,
Living, teaching, and farming since 1978.
Over the years, I have maintained various bird feeders.
In all those years, I have never seen a non-native sparrow,
Rather, only two native sparrow species, 
The White-crowned and Golden-crowned individuals.
This year (2026) in January, I was shocked by 
Observing two House Sparrows on the feeder.
This species is known for its aggressiveness.
Watching carefully, I calculated how often the House Sparrow
Displaced the other two species off the perches.
The House Sparrow most often succeeded.
Then, when the seed level got very low, barely reachable,
The House Sparrow, yet more rigorously, maintained the perch position.
This seems to be because at the end of the seed supply,
It must be defended more vigorously.
Moreover, the House Sparrow strongly defended its position 
Because of its bill size,
Which was heavier and slightly longer than that of the other two species,
Thus, it more easily reaches the remaining seed.
(This non-native species is also reported displacing others for nesting sites.)

It was instructive to document this aggressiveness close up,
And not just receive reports of this type of behavior.
Now I need to observe everything much more accurately!