Roebroeks contradicts the hypothesis (Ragir 2000, Laden 2005, Wrangham 1999) that the release of nutrients enabled by cooking was important for the hominid development very early on.
Brumfiel and Ferguson talk sense about Japan’s nuclear problems. N. B: Just now the news announced that the Japanese political “elite’s” conclusion was to stop building new and safe plants and prolong the planned lifetimes of the much inferior old ones. I’m all for social participation of the mentally retarded, but does it have to be in parliaments and government?
Hill and Chapais are another addition the the group selection models in evolution.
This week’s nature column “100 a ago” has this letter from 1911:
I have just been told a very interesting story by Mr. James Day of this town. Many years ago he and his father … noticed a fox come searching along the hedgerows … they saw that he was collecting the sheep’s wool caught on the thorns and brambles. When he had gathered a large bunch he went down to a pool … and backed slowly brush first into the water, until he was all submerged except his nose and the bunch of wool, which he held in his mouth. He remained thus for a short time, and then let go of the wool, which floated away; then he came out, shook himself, and ran off. Much astonished at this strange proceeding, they took a shepherd’s crook … and pulled the wool out. They found that it was full of fleas, which, to save themselves from drowning, had crept up and up the fox’s brush and body and head and into the wool, and that thus the wily fox had got rid of them.
T. McKenny Hughes, From Nature 23 March 1911
There’s a comment and reply about the DeDreu article from the list of 2011-01-27, blog.berger-odenthal.de/wordpress/?p=50.
And lastly there’s a book review and a short story.
Here’s the link to this week’s complete list.