FUNDACIÓN PARA LA INNOVACIÓN EN BIOMEDICINA FIBMED’s Post

An article for this week on human evolution and origin of human. How human relate with other animals or lets say our closest relative Chimpanzees? Culture in humans and other animals (DOI: 10.1126/science.adt8896) There is another article on the same issue. Population connectivity shapes the distribution and complexity of chimpanzee cumulative culture (DOI: 10.1126/science.adk338) There is an interesting article back on 2019 with 76 authors, which tells Human impact erodes chimpanzee behavioral diversity i.e our actions/behaviors did more damages to Chimps social learning (DOI: 10.1126/science.aau4532) #Evolution

New research proposes that the unique trait of human culture is not simply its capacity to accumulate knowledge but its "open-endedness"—the ability to generate infinitely complex, layered ideas and processes. Unlike animals, whose cultural evolution is limited by cognitive constraints, humans can indefinitely build and refine knowledge. #behaviorscience #userinsights #researchfoundations https://lnkd.in/gn86AXV4

The meaning of science. Any purported science is no science at all if it harms sentient beings. For a "science" that harms sentient beings is a contradiction, a fatal inconsistency within the claim to know that "science" provides. To know has a moral element at its core. Otherwise, we have a claim of science that is nihilist, alienated, and violent. Worse, it is based on a mis-interpretation of Being. Let us be clear on this point. Science must pursue the Good, which excludes violence toward Being itself. Prof. Boileau, PhD #animalrights #humanrights #earthrights #ecosystemrights

'Darwin’s conceptual leap was that this tree did not represent a mere rigid taxonomy, categorising a fait accompli creation in hierarchical form, but rather that it arose by a process of genotypic and phenotypic variation over enormous tracts of time and serial division through speciation. The metaphor works at the level of the process, as well as the form.' https://lnkd.in/g4E7T8nH

Our work on learning and problem-solving in urban yellow mongooses, Cynictis penicillata, published last year in Ethology (https://lnkd.in/dXa6S3Tq) raised some interesting question about the extent of yellow mongooses' cognition. After establishing that mongooses can learn to solve novel problems, we were interested in assessing whether they are cognitively flexible, in other words, whether they can adjust their learned responses based on immediate environmental cues. This was of particular interest since our yellow mongoose population is well-established in an urban location, and often face environmental change due to human disturbance. We found evidence of cognitive flexibility whereby mongooses successfully unlearned a previously learned response in favour of a new and more appropriate response, and that they were capable of successfully solving a problem whilst being distracted. These results may help explain why mongooses are capable of thriving in urban locations. I am excited to share that this research is now published in Animal Cognition and can be accessed via the following link: https://lnkd.in/dERuDX8K

“Sub-Human? The Psychology of Anthropocentric Exceptionalism” Published: PsychologyToday.com July 19, 2024 Marc Bekoff Ph.D. Animal Emotions: Ethics and Morality An interview with Emma Hakansson, whose new book “A 21st-Century Ethic; on Animals, Collective Liberation, and Us” explains why it's not radical to fight human speciesism. KEY POINTS * Emma Hakansson's book clearly shows that other animals are not sub-human, simply different from human. * Arguing against anthropocentric speciesism isn't radical but rather based in solid evolutionary biology. * Humans are mammals, and when we act as if are separate from and above all other animals, oppression results. * Animals should be free to express their dogness and hogness and not be demeaned for being who they are. “We so intensely internalize the commodification of other sentient beings, even if I think our human nature is to coexist with them. I hope the book might help people unpack and relearn some of what they have learned.” Complete Story/Interview: https://lnkd.in/gFUZDk_Q #psychologytoday

Some highlights from my interview with Dr. Paco Calvo, a cognitive scientist from the Universidad de Murcia in Spain, and author of Planta Sapiens: Unmasking Plant Intelligence. Dr. Calvo's book is a game-changer, challenging the traditional view of plants as passive organisms. Instead, he presents compelling evidence that plants possess sophisticated mechanisms for sensing, responding, and even decision-making. They are not just passive entities but are actively engaging with their environment in ways that parallel animal behavior. We discussed the similarities between plant intelligence and mycelium networks in fungi. Both constantly monitor their surroundings and adapt accordingly, showcasing a form of intelligence that’s both fascinating and humbling. Dr. Calvo urges us to shed our anthropocentric biases and recognize that intelligence and sentience are widespread across all forms of life. Every organism has evolved unique solutions to thrive, demonstrating that intelligence is not just a human trait but a universal one. Stay tuned for more from this enlightening conversation as we dive deeper into the world of plant intelligence and the implications it may have for the emerging #generativeai space. If you want to skip ahead the video is up on youtube here, https://lnkd.in/eKWHgmRZ #PlantIntelligence #CognitiveScience Holon Law Partners #PacoCalvo #Plantasapiens Above the Haze #fungi

There’s #DarkMatter and now #DarkFunghi. Sequencing is expanding our understanding of life in surprising ways, like revealing there’s many more species than we ever knew about. This is an interesting look at how much of life in our world is unknown to us, and how mycologists and others are using environmental DNA to discover whole classes of life. We might be on a new precipice of scientific learning like we haven’t seen in years. #EnvironmentalDNA #Mycology #microbiome https://lnkd.in/gqbiYvFV

🚨𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝟑𝟏𝟎 $𝐑𝐒𝐂 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭. 𝟓𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the genetic diversity and population history of India through the lens of over 2,700 whole genome sequences. The study sheds light on the intricate evolutionary journey of this diverse nation, offering valuable insights into the origins and genetic makeup of its people. The detailed examination of ancestral groups and migration patterns presented in the paper contributes significantly to our understanding of India's rich heritage. Peer review this paper and help uncover the evolutionary history of this diverse nation. Start writing now: https://lnkd.in/ehnvU_2H

🐝 The Mind of a Bee: An Exploration of the Intelligence of Bees 18 Feb 2025 | entoLIVE webinar | Free | 🗣️ Delve into the mind of a bee with Lars Chittka and explore the ways in which how bee brains are unparalleled in the animal kingdom. Most of us are aware of the hive mind—the power of bees as an amazing collective. But do we know how uniquely intelligent bees are as individuals? Lars Chittka draws from decades of research, including his own pioneering work, to argue that bees have remarkable cognitive abilities. He shows that they are profoundly smart, have distinct personalities, can recognize flowers and human faces, exhibit basic emotions, count, use simple tools, solve problems, and learn by observing others. They may even possess consciousness. Chittka illustrates how bee brains are unparalleled in the animal kingdom in terms of how much sophisticated material is packed into their tiny nervous systems. He looks at their innate behaviours and the ways their evolution as foragers may have contributed to their keen spatial memory. Chittka also examines the psychological differences between bees and the ethical dilemmas that arise in conservation and laboratory settings because bees might feel and think. Book your free space via Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/ddexvJTX