Stalked by a Stork?

Tags

Flores, greater adjutant, Homo floresiensis, marabou stork, storks

Among the fossils found in the Liang Bua caves on the island of Flores are four leg bones and some other bones believed to belong to a giant stork (1.8 meters tall would tower over 1.0 meter tall Homo floresiensis) with the name Leptoptilos robustus. Among the issues are when did L. robustus arrive on Flores? Could it fly? Did it prey on hominids or vice versa? 

The marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) is found in may parts of Africa. Larger specimens stand five feet tall, weigh 25 pounds and have a twelve foot wing span.

The greater adjutant  (Leptoptilos dubius) is now found in portions of southeastern Asia.

 

 

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Revising the timing – continued

Tags

Down Syndrome, giant storks, Homo floresiensis, Komodo dragons, microcephaly, stegodons

One problem with asserting microcephaly is that there are already 185 distinct genes (see the SAITO screenshot at the bottom) implicated in different kinds of microcephaly. Could that number rise dramatically? Sure – there are projects underway looking at eight different chromosomes to understand both deletions and ring chromosomes. And those would be just genes from living homo sapiens. So a key question is: Is someone claiming ALL the Homo floresiensis were micro-cephalic or just the one (LB1, also known as “Flo”)

Another conjecture to explain Homo floresiensis was advanced in

Evolved developmental homeostasis disturbed in LB1 from Flores, Indonesia,
denotes Down syndrome and not diagnostic traits of the invalid species Homo
floresiensis  Henneberga, Maciej; Eckhardt, Robert B.; Chavanavesb, Sakdapong;
Hsü, Kenneth J.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014;111(33):11967–72. pmid:25092311

Like microcephaly, the simplicity of the name Down Syndrome belies a great deal of complexity. There are presently at least four types of Down Syndrome: complete chromosome 21 trisomy where virtually all cells in the body have three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two;   incomplete chromosome 21 trisomy where virtually all cells in the body have two and a fraction copies of chromosome 21; incomplete chromosome 21 trisomy with translocation where virtually all cells in the body have two and a fraction copies of chromosome 21 AND the fraction is attached to some other chromosome; and mosaic chromosome 21 trisomy where some cells in the body have two and a fraction copies of chromosome 21. If any reader knows of a paper announcing a mosaic situation with a complete third copy we would appreciate a link. Likewise, if any reader knows of a paper that discusses what other chromosomes get supplemented with pieces of chromosome 21 during translocation we would appreciate a link.

In Baab KL, Brown P, Falk D, Richtsmeier JT, Hildebolt CF, Smith K, et al. (2016)
A Critical Evaluation of the Down Syndrome Diagnosis for LB1, Type Specimen of Homo
floresiensis. PLoS ONE 11(6): e0155731. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0155731 the authors disagree with the assertion of Down Syndrome. We are inclined to agree with their points.

However, if the claim is many or most of Flo, her family and her friends had microcephaly or Down Syndrome, we’d be curious how such a population apparently survived 150,000 years making stone tools; perhaps managing fire; maybe even having language; not being wiped out by tsunamis, earthquakes and massive volcanic eruptions; hunting admittedly smallish elephants; and avoiding giants storks and Komodo dragons.

 

 

Revising the timing

Tags

Flores, hobbits, hominids, Homo floresiensis, Laron dwarfism, Mathew Tocheri, microcephaly

Homo floresiensis is an extinct species in the genus Homo. The remains of an individual that would have stood about 3.5 feet in height were discovered in 2003 in a cave at Liang Bua on the island of Flores in Indonesia. The original dating was 18,000 years old. There are stone tools from Flores going back to about 800,000 years ago. Of interest is then who made the tools and where did the toolmakers come from? There are two interesting features of “Flor” or LB1, as the bones are known. Note that, so far, portions of nine individuals have been discovered. The lower legs are comparatively short and would be unexceptional had the fossil been found in Africa and dated to 1.5 million years. We (Homo sapiens) and Homo neanderthalis are actually the oddballs in the family tree as far as having long lower limbs. And there’s another feature. Matthew Tocheri’s PhD work was on hominid wrist anatomy. Even if she had been twice as tall, LB1 would never have been able to be a good baseball pitcher – she had the old style wrist bones. So really zero chance she was a diseased, deformed or dwarfed modern human. The paper below moves LB1’s dating back to about 60,000 years. That still leaves the problems of  (1) when were Homo floresiensis on Flores (2) did they overlap with any other hominids – if so, when (3) and where did Homo floresiensis come from.

Besides the damage to the fossils inflicted by Teuku Jacob (6 December 1929 – 17 October 2007), the academic battle rages on as to whether “Flo” and friends are a separate hominid species. Claims have been advanced for microcephaly and for evidence of Laron Syndrome. The latter is a genetic condition with a mutation in the GHR (Growth Hormone Receptor) gene on chromosome 5 in the p13.1-p12 region. It is likely that mutations in the STAT5B gene (chromosome 17, q21.1 region), which is a signalling intermediary, would also contribute to Laron-style dwarfism. I am skeptical of both of these claims, but more Homo floresiensis skulls and DNA-bearing teeth are needed.

(30 March 2016).

“Revised stratigraphy and chronology for Homo floresiensis at Liang Bua in Indonesia”.
Nature. 532 (7599): 366–369. doi:10.1038/nature17179. PMID 27027286.

 

Sitting

Tags

Cat Stevens, Sitting

Sitting on my own, not by myself,
Everybody’s here with me

Cat Stevens – “Sitting”

Born Steven Demetre Georgiou in 1948. He grew up mostly in England in London. He had a very difficult time in school and came down with tuberculosis when he was 21. He had released two albums already: Matthew and Son (1967)  had done very well and New Masters (also 1967) had not.

 

We Interrupt This Broadcast …

Tags

piqua, Plum Publications, saber, Ted Mancuso

A new book on saber from Ted Mancuso

https://www.plumpub.com/kaimen/2017/kung-fu-saber-book-dvd/

 

 

Genetic Translocations

Tags

Down Syndrome, Helmsmoortel-van der Aa, leukemia, Sidney Farber, translocations

Our SAITO software supports a student having multiple genetic challenges. So a student could undergo DNA testing and choose to share with us that he or she has, for example, a defective ADNP gene on chromosome 20. This would be Helmsmoortel-van der Aa syndrome. And the same student could have a defective MCM6 gene on chromosome 2 that contributes to lactose intolerance. For many genes there’s a measurable or observable difference in the span of the micro-deletion, the mutation of the nucleotide bases or the repetition count of tri-nucleotides. So a fair comparison of individual velocity of learning would be to analyze other students with similar DNA.

Normally, chromosomes occurs in pairs. Most humans have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. When one has three copies of chromosome 21 the result is almost always Down Syndrome. It has turned out one need not have three complete copies of chromosome 21. It is possible to have two complete copies and a fraction.

A translocation occurs when something breaks in not just one, but two chromosomes so genes or parts of genes that should be on chromosome 8, for example,  wind up on chromosome 21 and vice versa. In many instances of that particular scenario the student is predisposed to acute myoblastic leukemia.

In 1947 American pediatrician Sidney Farber (September 30, 1903 – March 30, 1973) was desperate to save some of his patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia so he gave them folic acid supplements and likely accelerated their deaths. We’d prefer to avoid such an outcome. So we’d want to know at the very least that practicing Tai Chi Chuan would NOT worsen a student’s health. In addition, we’d like to provide individual “homework” exercises that might help with specific future conditions.

 

Short Videos of Long Weapons

Similar to the short videos of different staffs, but showcasing 25 long weapons. If there are points deducted for tangling up tassels I’d be in serious trouble. Usually the most troublesome (and, therefore, the most interesting) movement is the fourth cut which follows a diagonal slash from the right shoulder toward the left knee. The fourth movement requires a shift of the grip and a slash from the left shoulder toward the right knee. There is considerably more variation among these weapons when it comes to balance and weight as compared to simple staffs. The tactical assumption is that if one lands a successful strike with a long weapon that the target is effectively finished. So an enemy might survive a staff strike to the shoulder or thigh, for example. A similar strike with a pu dao should mean the combat is over.

butterfly wing – https://youtu.be/yM6picU8KEM                                                                 double-ended ba gua spear – https://youtu.be/4zmB1kuG8Yk
gold coin spade – https://youtu.be/u1JOf53Fg4Y
gold coin spade with snake blade – https://youtu.be/XPKZowqDr7Q                                           halberd – https://youtu.be/Wk4JxEsNTKQ
horse-blocking knife – https://youtu.be/a8Ylmya5XtA
kwan dao: eagle style – https://youtu.be/_p90vkFESwQ
kwan dao: elephant  style – https://youtu.be/CuxQ0vH4BGg
kwan dao: green dragon style – https://youtu.be/n7q1nBYozSs
kwan dao: Spring Autumn Big knife style – https://youtu.be/MFbWHFS5nbU
kwan dao: three-point two-edge style – https://youtu.be/1pD281poN_g
kwan dao: two-piece (steel handle unscrews)  – https://youtu.be/NYV8oVeAlf4                       kwan dao: wushu style (*) – https://youtu.be/rg76Z9IXupo
melon hammers – https://youtu.be/ByTela59g54
monk’s spade – https://youtu.be/bpSxJM8kiqo
monk’s staff – https://youtu.be/8X_ENJT3ciQ
nine-point (Heavenly General) rake – https://youtu.be/6onDqhYTcDc                                         pu dao – https://youtu.be/cpbjmkh17pM
spear (single-ended) – https://youtu.be/MaM-JJL5lzc
sun moon spear – https://youtu.be/mECKMyqRfYA
trident – https://youtu.be/8_JCktZ5GYM
twin halberds – https://youtu.be/UNSVoe6wBes
wolf tooth mace – https://youtu.be/fWvYV_e_5M4
wushu axe:  long handle – https://youtu.be/yGmpKAQiZJ8
wushu axe: short handle – https://youtu.be/Yua0tMjSSVY

* = lighter with smaller, more flexible blade and shorter handle

 

 

New Presentation – High Stakes Poker

Tags

Cai Songfang, inside straight, poker, Wuji sitting, Wuji Standing

A discussion of the poker adage: “Never draw to an inside straight” and a discussion of the technical points of WuJi style (after Cai Songfang) sitting meditation and standing meditation.

Slides as webpages starting at http://www.silverwolfwushu.com\InsideStraight01.html

 

Staff speed and effectiveness

Tags

lau gar, long staff, mylar, rattan, staff

The web page

http://www.silverwolfwushu.com/WeaponsStaff17.html

has links to short YouTube videos showing the same five simple and common moves done with a variety of staffs. With the exception of the lau gar (3 meter or 10 foot pole) and one very old and heavy staff  (wood unknown, alas) all the staffs are about as quick. To be fair, the mylar toothpick staff is fractionally fastest because it is so light. That comes at a price – I have never heard anyone say “Whoa, I am thankful you are not fighting me with a short, round and very light mylar staff instead of that octagonal hickory staff.”

My personal rattan staff needs more sanding and finishing – it does not slide through my hands. That implies that woods that splinter easily or significantly dent will not be the best choice in  a long combat. Note that the staff is symmetric – both ends are the same.

Another aspect to staffs, especially tapered waxwood ones, is spinnability: can you spin the staff so it remains balanced and still delivers a damaging blow [to the opponent].

 

The Sole of Tai Chi Chuan (continued)

Tags

Adidas, Chen Zhenglei, Ireland, Nick Gudge, shoe tying, shoes, Stan Smith, velcro

These are Stan Smith style shoes from Adidas. Note that they are available with either traditional laces and with Velcro straps. They are a favorite of the esteemed Sifu Nick Gudge, a Chen Zhenglei student who teaches in Ireland. I am not altogether clear on about what percentage of autistics can tie their own shoes, let alone with consistency and reliability (not too loose and not too tight). Not do I have anything to say yet about how well or poorly the students like the straps.