Locator: 49364DNA.
Link here.
James D. Watson, who entered the pantheon of science at age 25 when he joined in the discovery of the structure of DNA, one of the most momentous breakthroughs in the history of science, died on Thursday in East Northport, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 97.
His death, in a hospice, was confirmed by his son Duncan, who said Dr. Watson was transferred to the hospice this week from a hospital, where he had been treated for an infection.
Dr. Watson’s role in decoding DNA, the genetic blueprint for life, would have been enough to establish him as one of the most important scientists of the 20th century. But he cemented that fame by leading the ambitious Human Genome Project and writing perhaps the most celebrated memoir in science.
For decades a famous and famously cantankerous American man of science, Dr. Watson lived on the grounds of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which, in another considerable accomplishment, he took over as director in 1968 and transformed from a relatively small establishment on Long Island with a troubled past into one of the world’s major centers of microbiology. He stepped down in 1993 and took a largely honorary position of chancellor.
One wonders if Warren Buffett should have done the same ... transform BRK and then step down to take a largely honorary position ...
Back to James D Watson.
James Watson began his life as an ornithologist so this was a fitting question to ask Google Gemini: why do birds only have four toes?
Birds do not have a fifth toe because they evolved from theropod dinosaurs (think Velociraptor) that had four toes, and the species has lost the fifth toe over time.
The loss of the fifth toe is an example of a vestigial trait that has been reduced through evolution, and while most birds have four toes, their arrangement varies to suit different functions, such as the anisodactyl (three forward, one back) or zygodactyl (two forward, two back) configurations.
Evolutionary origin
From dinosaurs to birds: Birds are descended from theropod dinosaurs, many of which had four-toed feet that were adapted for walking and running.
Toe loss: Over millions of years, the fourth toe was reduced, and eventually lost, through natural selection, and this trait was inherited by birds.
Toe arrangements
Anisodactyl: This is the most common arrangement, with three toes pointing forward and one pointing backward, which is seen in songbirds and birds of prey.
Zygodactyl: This arrangement has two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward, which is common in birds like woodpeckers and parrots, and helps with climbing.
Other variations: Some birds have further reduced toes to suit their needs, such as the ostrich, which has only two toes, or the American Three-toed Woodpecker, which has only three toes.
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The Art Page
From a sketch by Olivia when she was eight years old, 2014.
