Mar 28, 2023·edited Mar 28, 2023Liked by Heather Heying
Heather, Well this was off-the-wall but fascinating. Never even thought to think about this. Many thanks for broadening my horizons in unexpected directions this morning.
Thank you. I feel that I have succeeded! Questions like this—how do organisms adapted to land survive in the water? What all needs to change? *How will they sleep?*—are much of what I wander around the world wondering about, and I feel that it is one of my jobs to raise those questions in your (collective) minds as well!
Fascinating article, making your work well worth the price of admission. A question for you, is there a plan to go back even further to elaborate on a pre oxygen planet and what the transition from carbon dioxide would have looked like? I’d be particularly interested in knowing what degree of mobility a co2 life form could be capable of.
That's probably not a piece I would write, at least not as science. Perhaps as science fiction, although I admit that I'm more drawn to later stages of evolution.
Oh I love this article and your writing always blows my mind. It's just so full of flavor, rich and delicious flavor. And I always hear your lovely voice when I'm reading your essays. It's fun timing because I just listened to an revolutionary podcast on sleep last night....whilst falling asleep...:) Thank you!
Seals having two different modes of sleep depending on where they are sleeping is fascinating. That's almost like having two sets of eyes, one set optimized for daylight and the other set optimized for the dark. I have been a "water baby" all my life so the idea of a species returning to the water makes perfect sense to me. In fact I am a firm believer in the Aquatic Ape hypothesis. Wading seems like an awfully good incentive to bipedalism.
cute discussion I spent some time thinking about "befriending" a pinniped. in the wild, without treats.... that's a tough one. The general rule is make it comfortable for the subject to do what you want, and uncomfortable for them to exhibit unwanted behavior. I'm guessing you'll have difficulty with seal in natural habitat making it uncomfortable.
Though my mind goes back to Monty Roberts and his testing his "join up" process on a wild horse on the open range. He says it worked. But seals are probably not horses.
As to otters sleeping on land, I would like to say they also sleep in unattended boats and with their propensity of combining bedroom and bathroom, leave quite a mess.
I've heard this about otters. I have not yet had the (dis)pleasure of experiencing this tendency of otters, so have retained my unabashed love for them.
Heather, Well this was off-the-wall but fascinating. Never even thought to think about this. Many thanks for broadening my horizons in unexpected directions this morning.
Thank you. I feel that I have succeeded! Questions like this—how do organisms adapted to land survive in the water? What all needs to change? *How will they sleep?*—are much of what I wander around the world wondering about, and I feel that it is one of my jobs to raise those questions in your (collective) minds as well!
Fascinating article, making your work well worth the price of admission. A question for you, is there a plan to go back even further to elaborate on a pre oxygen planet and what the transition from carbon dioxide would have looked like? I’d be particularly interested in knowing what degree of mobility a co2 life form could be capable of.
That's probably not a piece I would write, at least not as science. Perhaps as science fiction, although I admit that I'm more drawn to later stages of evolution.
I can appreciate that. Plankton's lack of mobility almost guarantees none will feel sorry for it being eaten. :-)
Oh I love this article and your writing always blows my mind. It's just so full of flavor, rich and delicious flavor. And I always hear your lovely voice when I'm reading your essays. It's fun timing because I just listened to an revolutionary podcast on sleep last night....whilst falling asleep...:) Thank you!
Seals having two different modes of sleep depending on where they are sleeping is fascinating. That's almost like having two sets of eyes, one set optimized for daylight and the other set optimized for the dark. I have been a "water baby" all my life so the idea of a species returning to the water makes perfect sense to me. In fact I am a firm believer in the Aquatic Ape hypothesis. Wading seems like an awfully good incentive to bipedalism.
cute discussion I spent some time thinking about "befriending" a pinniped. in the wild, without treats.... that's a tough one. The general rule is make it comfortable for the subject to do what you want, and uncomfortable for them to exhibit unwanted behavior. I'm guessing you'll have difficulty with seal in natural habitat making it uncomfortable.
Yep. A sea mammal has quite an ability to say "I'm outa here!"
Exactly.....
Though my mind goes back to Monty Roberts and his testing his "join up" process on a wild horse on the open range. He says it worked. But seals are probably not horses.
Ooooo! Now do horses.
As to otters sleeping on land, I would like to say they also sleep in unattended boats and with their propensity of combining bedroom and bathroom, leave quite a mess.
I've heard this about otters. I have not yet had the (dis)pleasure of experiencing this tendency of otters, so have retained my unabashed love for them.
375 million years OH MY 🙌🙌