An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins Essay Example for Free

An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins Essay AN INTEGRATED CRITIQUE OF KOZOL’S AND DAWKIN INTRODUCTION Richard Dawkins was born on March 26, in 1941. He is an ethnologist, an evolutionarily biologists and a popular writer in science. He also holds the Simonyi Chair, which is designed to promote the understanding of science to public at Oxford University. The first time Dawkins come into the limelight and became popular was after writing his book ‘The Selfish Gene’ in 1976. This book introduced the term ‘meme’ and consequently helped discover memetics fields. It also made ‘gene-centered view of evolution’ popular. Around 1982, he made significant contributions toward evolution science. THE SELFISH GENE BY RICHARD DAWKINS Richard Dawkin’s ‘The selfish Gene’ was a very popular reading and to some extent controversial on evolution. The book elaborates and goes deeper to discuss more about the theory of William’s first ever book to write ‘Adaptation and Natural Selection’. The theory discussed on this book is principal to William’s book. Richard introduced, ‘Selfish Gene’ to provoke and express his views on gene’s evolution. This view states that evolution acts on genes and when we select some organisms or a population, this selection is normally based on the type of genes. According to his book, an organism must evolve since it is the only way of maximizing its ‘inclusive fitness’, which refers to the total number of the genes which are transmitted globally, rather than the genes passed on by a particular individual. Consequently, a population tends to learn towards ‘Evolutionarily Stable Strategy’. (Richard, 1990) This ‘selfish gene’ came up with the term ‘meme’. ‘Meme refers to a single unit of human’s culture evolution which is analogous to genes. It suggests that this is a ‘selfish’ replication of human genes, and it can affect the culture of human in a totally difference sense. There is no doubt that ‘memetics’ evoked a discussion of meme since he published his book. ‘Meme’ is cultural information units, which can be transferred from one mind to another. Examples of memes are tunes, clothes fashion, catch phrases, pot making or building arches. â€Å"Meme’ is properly defined in the theory of memetic, which is comprised of information on culture in a unit theory; how evolution of culture or diffusion is blocked, how it propagates form mind to mind and the way a gene propagates from one person or from an organism to an organism. Where memes are multiple, they propagate as â€Å"memeplexes’. Meme complexes act as cooperative groups. (Richard, 1990) A ‘gene’ on the other hand, is a region that can be located and has a sequence called ‘genomic sequence. This corresponds to an inheritance unit that is closely associated with regions that play a regulatory function, the regions, which are transcribed, and other regions with functional sequence. The phenotype and physical development of organisms is believed to be productivity of genes, which interact among themselves and with their environment. Genes are generally inheritance units. A gene generally defines human or organism’s characteristic and the functionality of potential products. Genes do not define products but rather they contain regions. Eukaryotic organisms contain regions, which do not have coding regions and are called introns. These are taken away from RNA, which acts as the messenger in a process referred to as ‘splicing’. Exons are regions, which encode the products of gene. A total number of genes, which make a set, is called ‘genome’. The genome size of an organism is usually low in prokaryotes, which come in base pairs and the gene’s numbers. The theorists of meme state that meme evolve through natural selection, this is similar to biological evolution of Darwin through competition, inheritance, variation and mutation. THE ROLE OF CULTURAL EVOLUTION Cultural evolution and socio-evolution fall under the umbrella called ‘socio-cultural evolution’. It describes how societies and cultures have come into being over time. Cultural theories provide us with models to enhance our understanding on the relationship between our social structure, technologies and society values; and give reasons why and how they change gradually. They change to a degree to which specific mechanisms of social change are described. (Richard 1990) Around 20th and 19th century, there were approaches, which were aimed to give models for humankind evolution. The argument is that the social development of different societies is not in the same stage. The recent approaches of the 20th century emphasize on changes, which are specific to a society as an individual and turn down social progress and directional change. Archeologists and anthropologists use modern theories as the framework of socio-cultural evolution. Sociobiology and neo-evolutionism are some of modern approaches employed to cultural evolution. Richard Dawkins, the ethnologist discovered ‘meme’. According to his book, â€Å"TheSelfish Gene’ 1976, likened human’s cultural evolution unit to a gene. His argument was that replication happens in the culture, through in a different sense. Dawkins contends that meme, which resides in the brain represents units of information and it is the replicator that controls mutation in cultural evolution of humans. This forms a pattern, which has the power to influence surroundings, that is, it can propagate and possesses causal agency. However, his theory caused a heated debate among biologists, sociologists and scientists from other disciplines. Dawkins failed to given adequate explanation about the information units replicates, in organism’s brain, how it can control the behaviour of a human being and finally culture. It is apparent that it was not Dawkins intention to give the theory of memetics. Comprehensively in the selfish gene, he coined the word meme in a kind of speculative spirit. In the same sense, ‘unit of information was given different definitions by different scientists. (Richard 1990). MEME AND EDUCATION It is not entirely impossible though it is hard to debate the subject matter of the functions of emotions in education system if we are lacking the right words to sufficiently discuss the topic. This is the scenario when we reach a point of discussing the functional role of ‘emotional intelligence’ because it has got to do with the needs of our younger brothers and sisters as well as great grandchildren and become stochastically and mathematically proficient so as they can exist and fit in the competition which is characterized by technological advancement. Many educators are failing because they lack words such as ‘eipiphiny’ and ‘mehme’ and hence do not have words, which play an important role of ‘emotional intelligence,’ and how it relates to stochastic and mathematical literacy sufficiently and appropriately address attempts that can be made. The outcome is a system of education that is believed to be failing. If the kids can experience and feel eipiphinies and MEHMES, kids will definitely love maths, and see its relevance to their lives daily. It also contributes a feeling of self-confident. The key here is to create the terms mehme and eipiphiny. Introduction of mehme and eipiphiny may have a positive effect if incorporated in the meme selection process.

Joan Didions Essay Los Angeles Notebook -- Didion Los Angeles Noteboo

Joan Didion's Essay "Los Angeles Notebook"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Santa Ana winds cause people to act more violently or unruly and makes others irritable and unhappy to a great extent. Joan Didion explains to the reader about how the Santa Ana affects human behavior in her essay â€Å"Los Angeles Notebook.† Through the use of imagery, diction, and selection of detail Didion expresses her view of the Santa Ana winds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Didion paints uneasy and somber images when describing the Santa Ana winds. â€Å"There is something uneasy in the Los Angeles air†¦ some unnatural stillness, some tension,† starts the essay off with the image of Los Angeles people in a sense of stillness or tense. She further adds, â€Å"Blowing up sandstorms out along Route 66†¦ we will see smoke back in the canyons, and hear sirens in the night,† propagating the uneasy and stark image of Los Angeles. â€Å"The baby frets. The maid sulks,† she adds, giving a depressing view into the effects of the Santa Ana winds on people. Didion, in an attempt to show the craziness associated with the Santa Ana winds, points out the Indians who throw themselves into the sea when bad winds came. At any rate, Didion attempts to show the negative effects of the Santa Ana winds through images of stillness, uneasiness, and sobriety.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In her tone, Didion remains clear, consistent, and vivid. Her choice of words remains simple as if to not alienate the readers of her essay. Her tone for the first half of the opening, primarily the first and second ...

Specialist idea maker characterised by high iq education essay

Learning is the womb-to-tomb procedure of uninterrupted betterment. Human being learns new things throughout its life-time. It is necessary for the overall development of human being. Merely the individual who is acute scholar can last and turn in today ‘s competitory environment. We ever continue to larn from the twenty-four hours we born till the twenty-four hours we die. Life without larning is like stagnating H2O. Human being larn everything that comes to him i.e. larn from its actions, its experience etc. In Reflection faculty I am traveling to sum up the contemplation of what I learnt. Reflection and larning are explained through assorted theoretical accounts and theory in this assignment.ASSIGNMENT 1When I am making this undertaking I was under the intuition that it is traveling to be another industry faculty where we will be demoing to merely abstract thoughts. But I came to cognize that it is more about modeling an person into acquiring prepared to a organisation calling. Largely PASS overlaps the trained and academic accomplishments that are needed by persons to fight in this reciprocally dependent universe. The first twenty-four hours of fall ining my institute is fundamentally different from my premise, the college give us the right cognition and a key to success. But when I came to cognize about this faculty ( PASS ) my falsity was nowhere to be found any more within me. It provides me the professional cognition and assist us to better my accomplishments.REFLECTIVE JOURNALCollaboration: –This subdivision coaction was introduced where we implicit the demand for coaction for the squad work. Basically coaction is to garner a assortment of different accomplishments among team members and use them to guarantee the success of the undertaking. In this I introduced the Tuck adult male ‘s Group Development Model and Belbin ‘s TheoryTUCK MAN ‘S AND BELBIN THEORYDegree centigrades: Documents and SettingsMicrosoftDesktopforming_storming.gif Tuckman ‘s theoretical account is that it helps us understand that squads evolve. It besides helps us to see how they may meet different jobs at different phases ofA their development There are four phases in tuckman ‘s model-forming, ramping, norming and executing. In the first phase we read about organizing. In this foremost the base degree is established. In this phase the persons are non yet gelled together and everybody is busy in happening their topographic point in the squad. Besides the trust is developed between the squad members in this phase. The squad members agrees on common end. This phase is really of import because in this phase members make goods contacts and strong bonding towards each other. In the 2nd phase we focused on ramping. In this phase members feel themselves as a portion of a squad. They are identify with the powers, control issues and the resources that are to be used. In this phase members express different thoughts, feeling, and sentiment, nevertheless they may dispute themselves and the squad leader about what the squad is making and and how the work should be done. The 3rd phase is norming. The members come together. They agrees about functions and procedures for work outing the job. We can state it is the feature of togetherness. Decisions are made through dialogue and understanding edifice. The squad is engaged in assorted activities. The concluding phase is executing. Members find solutions to jobs utilizing appropriate controls. They work collaboratively and care about each other. The group established as a alone individuality and the members are mutualist and they have increased focal point on the undertaking. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.businessballs.com/images/brain2.jpgCo-ordinatorThe co-ordinator is a person-oriented leader. This individual is swearing, accepting, dominant and is committed to team ends and aims. The co-ordinator is a positive mind who approves of end attainment, battle and attempt in others. The co-ordinator is person tolerant plenty ever to listen to others, but strong plenty to reject their adviceMakerThe maker is a task-focused leader who abounds in nervous energy, who has a high motive to accomplish and for whom winning is the name of the game. The maker is committed to accomplishing terminals and will ‘shape ‘ others into accomplishing the purposes of the squad.PlantThe works is a specialist thought shaper characterised by high IQ and invagination while besides being dominant and original. The works tends to take extremist attacks to team operation and jobs. Plants are more concerned with major issues than with inside informations.Resource Inves tigatorThe resource research worker is the executive who is ne'er in his room, and if he is, he is on the telephone. The resource research worker is person who explores chances and develops contacts. Resource research workers are good negotiants who probe others for information and support and pick up other ‘s thoughts and develop them. They are characterised by sociableness and enthusiasm and are good at liaison work and researching resources outside the groupTeam workerTeam workers make helpful intercessions to debar possible clash and enable hard characters within the squad to utilize their accomplishments to positive terminals. They tend to maintain squad spirit up and let other members to lend efficaciously. Their diplomatic accomplishments together with their sense of temper are assets to a squad. They tend to hold accomplishments in hearing, get bying with awkward people and to be sociable. sensitive and people orientedCompany worker/ implementerImplementers are cogniza nt of external duties and are disciplined, painstaking and have a good self-image. They tend to be unsentimental and practical, swearing and tolerant, esteeming established traditions. They are characterised by low anxiousness and be given to work for the squad in a practical, realistic manner. Implementers figure conspicuously in places of duty in larger administrations. They tend to make the occupations that others do non desire to make and make them good: for illustration, training employees.Completer closersThe completer finisher dots the I ‘s and crosses the T ‘s. He or she gives attending to detail, purposes to finish and to make so exhaustively. They make steady attempt and are consistent in their work. They are non so interested in the glamor of dramatic success.SpecialistThe specializer provides cognition and proficient accomplishments which are in rare supply within the squad. They are frequently extremely introspective and dying and be given to be self-startin g, dedicated and committedTeam ManagemenArtifical barriers between leaders and led are merely one obstruction to true teamwork. Interdepartmental and cross-functional competitions – what Americans call ‘turf wars ‘ – are other serious hurdlings, made worse by the fact that they are seldom overcome. They ‘re known in athletics, excessively. Try to carry rugger forwards that they can larn from dorsums, or frailty versa, and you ‘ll normally acquire no more alteration than when carrying selling to work ( as it should ) hand-in-glove with production, or either to collaborate volitionally with finance. The accomplishments indispensable to the modern director therefore include the ability to work with other functional endowments in squads – and to take, non by the authorization of bid, but that of expertness. Team leading, paradoxically, includes cognizing when to manus over the lead to others, as their expertness moves to the bow. In games, this stems of course from the functional demands. Merely the signal caller can name the dramas in American football: in rugger, lineout tactics are every bit an adept map. A squad relys on its leader to acquire them through.Team benefitAll squads are groups of persons but non all groups of persons needfully show the coherence of a squad. Teams outperform persons because squads generate a particular energy. This energy develops as squad members work together blending their personal energies and endowments to present touchable public presentation consequences. There are a figure of benefits for teamwork, among them are: Distributing the work load Reinforcing single capablenesss Making engagement and engagement Making better determinations Feeling like we play a portion in the work being done Generating a diverseness of thoughts, etc.Teams have become the latest direction compulsion. They ‘re the corporate equivalent of a Visa card: they ‘re everyplace you want to be. Directors, school principals everyplace in the universe are endeavoring to put up efficient teamwork processs in their constitutions.Trouble is that despite their ubiquitousness and their ubiquity, squads seldom achieve discovery consequences. Alternatively, they sink to the degree of the weakest performing artist and maintain excavation. The mistake lies non with the squad or its members, but with those who took a group of persons, charged them with unlikely ends, staffed them with uninspired leading and expected them to work as a squad. Contrast that to an organized, well-oiled, and disciplined squad, one in which the whole is greater than the amount of its parts. Such groups allow members to accomplish consequences far beyond their single abilities. The sarcasm is that when the demands of the group take precedence, the demands of the single really are enhanced.High public presentation squads do non ensue from self-generated burning. They are grown, nurtured and exercised. It takes a batch of difficult work and skill to intermix the different personalities, abilities, and docketsCommunicationCommunicationCommunication is an exchange of facts, thoughts, sentiments by two or more individuals. Communication is the procedure of go throughing information & A ; understanding from one individual to another.It is the procedure of leaving thoughts & A ; malking oneself understood by other. Communication is the transmittal & A ; interchange of facts, thoughts, feelings, or class of action. The interchange of idea or information to convey about common apprehension and assurance or good human relation. In communicating theoretical account we use the construct of Berlo ‘s Model hypertext transfer protocol: //www.eeldy.com/j676/images/ks_fig6.gifConcept of Barlo ‘s theoretical account: –Beginning Does he hold a bid over linguistic communication? What is his attitude towards the receiving system? Third what is his degree of cognition? Does he talk as a member of a group ; spiritual, political, or commercial? Does he belong to a extremely advanced civilization or he comes from some crude folk Message: A message contains content or affair. It appears in some linguistic communication from such as English or Gallic or in picture signifier. Channels: Channel stands for the medium in which the message reaches the receiving system. It may be natural, one of the senses – visual perception, hearing, touching, smelling and savoring. Receiver: The receiving system excessively, like the beginning has skill, attitude, cognition and civilization context. If the receiving system and the beginning have positive attitudes towards the subject, communicating become easy.TIME MANAGEMENTThis is the most of import construct in this assignment every bit good as our twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours activity.The â€Å" Three Ps † of Effective Time Management: –Planing Precedences ProcrastinationTen Myths about Time: –Myth: Time can be managed. Myth: The longer or harder you work the more you accomplish. Myth: If you want something done right, do it yourself. Myth: You are n't supposed to bask work. Myths: We should take pride in working hard. Myth: You should seek to make the most in the least sum of clip. Myth: Technology will assist you do it better, faster. Myth: Do one thing at a clip. Myth: Handle paper merely one time. Myth: Get more done and you ‘ll be happier. As I got closer to the terminal of this assignment, I realized that we were really trained how to use the resources to go a better leader every bit good as director. As a director it is really indispensable to do optimal usage of the limited resources that will be provided for 1s undertaking. At the same clip, a director should besides hold tantamount accomplishments and do certain his/her employee is up to the grade to derive better competitory advantage and a higher market value for the intent of development and success of the organisation. For a director, a section with the lowest staff turnover is ever better for the direction and shows the excellence of the director pull offing his/her squad.ASSIGNMENT 2Learning Style‘The procedure of increasing cognition and accomplishments and developing our attitudes or beliefs so that we have the chance for increased pick ‘ ( Thorpe and Clifford, 2000 ) . This attack to larning stress the fact that persons perceive and process information in really different ways. The acquisition styles theory implies that how much persons learn has more to make with whether the educational experience is geared toward their peculiar manner of larning than whether or non they are â€Å" smart. † In fact, pedagogues should non inquire, â€Å" Is this pupil smart? † but instead â€Å" How is this pupil smart? † Different type of larning mannerInguisticThis type of scholar loves to read, compose, and state narratives. They tend to memorise topographic points, day of the months, names, and trivia really easy, and are ever magnetizing you with their unbelievable narratives. They have a singular ability to reiterate back everything you have of all time told them, word for word. 2.logical This kid is really mathematically inclined. They enjoy work outing jobs, peculiarly if they are math related.. They will blight you with inquiries on how things work, how things relate to one another, and why things are here. Their favourite playthings as immature kids were likely edifice blocks, and pattern mystifiers. 3.spatial These are the visualisers. They spend most of the twenty-four hours dreaming, watching films, and remaining as far off from world as possible. If they seem peculiarly â€Å" down † , inquiring them to pull a image will acquire you much further into the nature of the job, than inquiring them to state you about it. 4.musical if your kid is ever walking around the house humming a melody, or ever needs music to analyze by, so he/she is likely a musical scholar. This type of scholar is best at detecting inside informations, pitches, and rhythms that escape the normal hearer. 5.bodily This type of scholar is ever on the move. They invariably walk about, they have to touch everything, and they use body linguistic communication to convey their feelings. They would instead play athleticss or make a trade than sit down and read a book. They need active instruction! Keep them traveling. 6.interpersonal These are the â€Å" societal butterflies † . They adapt easy to any type of societal state of affairs, have many friends and are first-class leaders. They are patient, understanding, and really empathic, which makes them a favourite among their playfellows. They by and large make good leaders because of their ability to intercede struggle, and are frequently referred to as â€Å" the Peacemaker † of the household. 7.intrapersonal iunderstanding of themselves. They pride themselves on being independent and original, and they tend to stand out from the crowd without even seeking. They are the â€Å" strong, soundless type † . Kolb ‘s Learning theoryLearning is the procedure whereby cognition is created through the transmutation of experience †Kolb ( 1984, 38 )â€Å" a comprehensive theory which offers the foundation for an attack to instruction and acquisition as a womb-to-tomb procedure and which is soundbased rational traditions of doctrine and cognitive and societal psychologyklb4kind Divergers – position state of affairss from many positions and rely to a great extent upon brainstorming and coevals of thoughtsLearners – usage inductive logical thinking and have the ability to make theoretical theoretical accountsConvergers – rely to a great extent on hypothetical-deductive logical thinkingObligers – carry out programs and experiments and adapt to immediate fortunesDavid Kolb stated that for true acquisition to take topographic point, we need to hold an experience, reflect upon this experience, make sense of it ( frequently through making theories ) and eventually use our theories to our lives by be aftering what we would make following clip we were in the same or similar state of affairs.HONEY AND MUMFORD ‘S Learning STYLESThere are four type of honey and mumford acquisition manner Militant Reflector Theorist Pragmatist Degree centigrades: UsersANUJDownloadsPicture1.png Militant Militants are people who learn through making and prefer activity-based development. They dislike sitting still for long periods and will therefore non respond good to talks or extremely brooding activity. Militants are gabby, lively and like to be involved – they enjoy the ‘here and now ‘ . The methods through which they will prefer to larn involve exercisings, jobs, undertakings, play and exhilaration. Reflectors Reflectors enjoy reexamining and sing state of affairss and events. When asked a inquiry, they tend to sit back and believe about the reply before reacting When they join a treatment their part will be good thought out. Brooding scholars like to see issues from a scope of different positions and will experience uncomfortable if they are put into the spotlight without anterior warning ; when taking methods for them, guarantee that they will hold the clip required for contemplation to take topographic point Theorists Theorists like to cognize the theories behind a piece of larning or the thoughts that back up remarks that are being made. They prefer to larn from research, informations, theoretical accounts and information. They do non get by good when they are asked to make something without being told why and without underpinning grounds or theory. Theorists like logic and are rational and analytical – in a learning state of affairs, they like their development activities to hold construction and intent ; they will be uncomfortable with high emotion and feelings. Pragmatists Pragmatists prefer practicality to theory and larn efficaciously when they are able to use the acquisition to their state of affairs and the existent universe. They learn best when provided with true to life undertakings, instead than being given ‘woolly ‘ constructs that they are unable to associate to their day-to-day life. They seek out new thoughts and want to seek them out, pulling links between the topic and their current occupation.Vark theoretical accountThe acronym VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic sensory modes that are used for larning information. Fleming and Mills ( 1992 ) suggested four classs that seemed to reflect the experiences VARK larning manner shows that I am a reading/writing penchant scholar followed by ocular and kinaesthetic scholar. The ocular and kinaesthetic scholar features are similar to the result of both the Belbin and Honey Mumford theory. Harmonizing to the Honey Mumford larning manner, Belbin ‘s theory and VARK theory, I am so a individual who learns better when theories and techniques are put into pattern. I specifically prefer to larn from new experiences every bit good, doing me a individual who likes to make more physical and custodies on activities compared to larning new faculties through theories. For illustration, learning and prep aration stuffs are absorbed faster and efficaciously when I perform them through tutorial or lab activities.According to the VARK acquisition theory, I learn best when theories that are taught are absorbed via talks and notes written from talks harmonizing to personal penchants. For illustration, during talks, I learn best when I write lecture notes and rewrite it over and over once more. A reading and composing penchant scholar would interpret diagrams and charts into their ain words to larn betterf the pupils and instructor.Visual ( V )This penchant includes the word picture of information in maps, spider diagrams, charts, graphs, flow charts, labelled diagrams, and all the symbolic pointers, circles, hierarchies and other devices, that teachers use to stand for what could hold been presented in words. It could hold been called Graphic ( G ) as that better explains what it covers. It doesA NOTA include films, pictures or PowerPoint. It does include designs, whitespace, forms, form s and the different formats that are used to foreground and convey information.Kinaesthetic ( K ) :By definition, this mode refers to the â€Å" perceptual penchant related to the usage of experience and pattern ( simulated or existent ) . † Although such an experience may raise other modes, the key is that people who prefer this manner are connected to world, â€Å" either through concrete personal experiences, illustrations, pattern or simulation † [ See Fleming & A ; Mills, 1992, pp. 140-141 ] . It includes presentations, simulations, pictures and films of â€Å" existent † things, every bit good as instance surveies, pattern and applications. AUDITORY-learners who would love to sit contrary and pay attending. They do n't do a batch of notes READ/WRITE- scholars who need to read the information for themselves and theyA take a set of notes CONCLUSSION VARK theoretical account proved that I m a KINESTHETIC scholar. I can sit long for focussed on a peculiar subject. But other than KINESTHETIC I am a weak scholar. And I feel that this is my weak point and I want to decide it. Now i am seeking to consider on a peculiar subject by sitting actively like a ocular scholar. Now i am concentrating on the reading/writing portion by reading more and more books and different diaries or assignments. But I feel that kinesthetic is non an existent manner which should be learned because kinesthetic is a individual who can non concentrate much more so I did non belong to it. I strongly believe that I should spread out that peculiar larning theory along with the remainder that I already pattern. As a group member we should make some new thoughts all the clip and these thoughts can be practical or theoretical. From Honey Mumford theory I came to cognize that I m a militant so I decided to larn the other acquisition manners that the VARK appraisal sho wed as I do non see any injury in larning new theoretical faculties. I really feel that with this faculty we will develop our accomplishments, cognition, preparation and many more. We know our value and importance in a group. This faculty besides helps us to understand the squad direction, different communicating accomplishments, and clip direction and captures the different manners of acquisition.

Lactose Intolerance and Lactase Persistence Can You Drink Milk

A total of 65% of the human population today has lactose intolerance (LI): drinking animal milk makes them ill, with symptoms including cramps and bloating. That is the typical pattern for most mammals: they stop being able to digest animal milk once they have moved on to solid foods. The other 35% of the human population can safely consume animal milk after weaning, that is to say they have lactase persistence (LP), and archaeologists believe that is a genetic trait that developed between 7,000–9,000 years ago among several dairying communities in places like northern Europe, eastern Africa, and northern India. Evidence and Background Lactase persistence, the ability to drink milk as an adult and the opposite of lactose intolerance, is a trait that arose in humans as a direct result of our domestication of other mammals. Lactose is the main carbohydrate (disaccharide sugar) in animal milk, including humans, cows, sheep, camels, horses, and dogs. In fact, if a being is a mammal, the mothers give milk, and mothers milk is the major energy source for human infants and all very young mammals. Mammals cannot normally process lactose in its ordinary state, and so a natural enzyme called lactase (or lactase-phlorizin-hydrolase, LPH) is present in all mammals at birth. Lactase breaks down the lactose carbohydrate into usable parts (glucose and galactose). As the mammal matures and moves beyond mothers milk to other food types (is weaned), the production of lactase decreases: eventually, most adult mammals become lactose intolerant. However, in about 35% of the human population, that enzyme continues to work past the point of weaning: people who have that working enzyme as adults can consume animal milk safely: the lactase persistence (LP) trait. The other 65% of the human population is lactose intolerant and cannot drink milk without ill effects: the undigested lactose sits in the small intestine and causes the differing severity of diarrhea, cramps, bloating, and chronic flatulence. Frequency of LP Trait in Human Populations While it is true that 35% of the worlds population has the lactase persistence trait, the likelihood that you have it  depends largely on geography, on where you and your ancestors lived. These are estimates, based on fairly small sample sizes. Eastern and Southern Europe: 15–54% have LP enzymeCentral and Western Europe: 62–86%British Isles and Scandinavia: 89–96%Northern India: 63%Southern India: 23%East Asia, Native Americans: rareAfrica: patchy, with highest percentages associated with cattle pastoralistsMiddle East: patchy, with highest percentages associated with camel pastoralists The reason for the geographic variation in lactase persistence has to do with its origins. LP is believed to have arisen because of the domestication of mammals, and the subsequent introduction of dairying. Dairying and Lactase Persistence Dairying--raising cattle, sheep, goats, and camels for their milk and milk products--began with goats, about 10,000 years ago in what is today Turkey. Cheese, a reduced lactose dairy product, was first invented about 8,000 years ago, in that same neighborhood in western Asia--making cheese removes the lactose-rich whey from the curds. The table above shows that the highest percentage of people who can consume milk safely are from the British Isles and Scandinavia, not in western Asia where dairying was invented. Scholars believe that is because the ability to safely consume milk was a genetically selected advantage in response to milk consumption, developed over 2,000–3,000 years. Genetic studies conducted by Yuval Itan and colleagues suggest that the European lactase persistence gene (named -13,910*T for its location on the lactase gene in Europeans) appears to have arisen about 9,000 years ago, consequent with the spread of dairying into Europe. -13.910:T is found in populations all over Europe and Asia, but not every lactase persistent person has the -13,910*T gene--in African pastoralists the lactase persistence gene is called -14,010*C. Other recently identified LP genes include -22.018:GA in Finland; and -13.907:G and -14.009 in East Africa and so on: there are no doubt other as-yet unidentified gene variants. They all, however, likely arose as a result of a reliance on milk consumption by adults. Calcium Assimilation Hypothesis The calcium assimilation hypothesis suggests that lactase persistence might have gotten a boost in Scandinavia because in high-latitude regions reduced sunlight doesnt allow sufficient synthesis of vitamin D through the skin, and getting it from animal milk would have been a useful substitute for recent immigrants to the region. On the other hand, studies of DNA sequences of African cattle pastoralists indicate that the mutation of -14,010*C occurred about 7,000 years ago, in a place where a lack of vitamin D was certainly not a problem. TRB and PWC The lactase/lactose set of theories test the larger debate over the arrival of agriculture in Scandinavia, a debate over two groups of people named by their ceramic styles, the Funnel Beaker culture (abbreviated TRB from its German name, Tricherrandbecher) and the Pitted Ware culture (PWC). By and large, scholars believe the PWC were hunter-gatherers who lived in Scandinavia about 5,500 years ago when the TRB agriculturalists from the Mediterranean region migrated into the north. The debate centers around whether the two cultures merged or the TRB replaced the PWC. DNA studies (including the presence of the LP gene) on PWC burials in Sweden indicate that the PWC culture had a different genetic background from those of modern Scandinavian populations: modern Scandinavians have far higher percentages of the T allele (74 percent) compared to PWC (5 percent), supporting the TRB replacement hypothesis. Khoisan Herders and Hunter-Gatherers Two 2014 studies (Breton et al. and Macholdt et al.) investigated lactase persistence alleles among southern African Khoisan hunter-gatherer and pastoralist groups, part of a recent reassessment of the traditional concepts of the Khoisan and the broadening of applications for the appearance of LP. Khoisan is a collective term for people who speak non-Bantu languages with click consonants and includes both Khoe, known to have been cattle herders from about 2,000 years ago, and San often described as the prototypical (maybe even stereotypical) hunter-gatherers. Both groups are often assumed to have remained largely isolated throughout prehistory. But the presence of LP alleles, along with other recently identified evidence such as shared elements of Bantu languages among Khoisan people and recent archaeological discoveries of sheep pastoralism at Leopard Cave in Namibia, has suggested to scholars that African Khoisan were not isolated, but instead were descended from multiple migrations of people from other parts of Africa. The work included a comprehensive study of LP alleles in modern southern African populations, descendants of hunter-gatherers, cattle and sheep  pastoralists and agropastoralists; they found that Khoe (herding groups) carried the East African version of the LP allele (-14010*C ) in medium frequencies, indicating they are likely partly descended from pastoralists from Kenya and Tanzania. The LP allele is absent, or in very low frequencies, among Bantu-speakers in Angola and South Africa and among San hunter-gatherers. The studies conclude that at least 2000 years ago, pastoralism was brought by a small group of eastern African migrants to southern Africa, where they were assimilated and their practices adopted by local Khoe groups. Why Lactase Persistence? The genetic variants that allow (some) people to consume mammal milk safely arose about 10,000 years ago as the domestic process was being undertaken. Those variations allowed populations with the gene to broaden their dietary repertoire, and incorporate more milk into their diet. That selection is among the strongest in the human genome, with a strong influence on human reproduction and survival. However, under that hypothesis, it would seem logical that populations with higher levels of milk dependence (such as nomadic herders) should have higher LP frequencies: but that is not always true. Long-term herders in Asia have quite low frequencies (Mongols 12 percent; Kazakhs 14–30 percent). Sami reindeer hunters have a lower LP frequency than the rest of the Swedish population (40-75 percent versus 91 percent). That might be because different mammals have different concentrations of lactose, or there may be some as-yet-undetected health adaptation to milk. 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