Personal Statement Flashcards
What is phylogeny?
The study of how different species are related through their evolutionary history
Includes genetics and ecology
Scientists use tools such as DNA sequencing and anatomical comparison to connect the dots to understand where they came from and how their ancestry is linked
traces historical developments of traits behaviours and adaptations, forming the basis for taxonomy and our understanding of biodiversity.
Often depicted in phylogenetic trees which show branching point of species over time
Rise and reign of the mammlas
The book talks about paleontological discoveries, but I was more fascinated about how mammals capatalised of the mass extinction event.
They were able to dominate and thrive in ecological niches, diversifying and specialising to withstand natural selection. My particular interest lay in how this has led to how the animals look and act today.
I believe a deeper understanding of their background will allow me to have a better grasp on their physiology and aid me in being able to help them more.
Most interesting point in Rise and Reign of the mammals
extremely interested in the development in hypsodonty
it is related to how grass-grazing animals function today- including horses and rabbits
Grass appeared first in late creataceous period but dominated and created a new ecosystem in oligocene
The dirt and silica blobs that grass secrete acted as sandpaper on grazing mammals.
- found that if it was ground down the starved
- grazers lose 3mm tooth per year
Miocene horses evolved hypsodonty 23 mill years ago. Teeth with long roots that extended deep into the jaw.
This adaptation which increases amount of nutrition ultimately drove the progression of horses to the fast and impressive beasts they are today
What is epistemological?
It is a philosophical subject that examines the nature, scope and validity of knowledge.
The 2 I focused on in my presentation was empiricism and rationalism.
Empiricists focus on the sensory experience- extracting knowledge from direct experiences and interactions with the world. They believe animals consciousness are understood through their behaviour, sensory perception and neural processes
Rationalists think reason and natural ideas as sources of knowledge. They think animals have innate cognitive capacities.
What is ontological?
Ontological deals with the nature of social reality.
For example, positivism seeks to study observable events using rigorous scientific methods. Derives quantifiable data and behaviours.
Interpretivism is based on subjective experiences. Involve qualitative research methods such as ethology to explore individual perspectives and contexts.
Are animals conscious
Research provided compelling evidence for presence of consciousness.
Self recognition, cognitive abilities, emotional experiences, neural correlation, communication and social behaviours.
Don’t know extent.
Materialsm study
Scientists Crick and Seth argued conciousness involved low amplitude interactions between the thalamus
thalamorortical loops integrated info across brain
MRI and other brain activity instruments in comparative studies show similarity in brain structure- same mechanism of consciousness
- lobsters and prawns don’t
Cognitive ethology
mirror test
visual marker on animals body(scentless)
compare animal’s reaction to when they saw themself in the mirror with no markings
animals that pass- adjust posotion to get better look at body and even attempt to touch
- self recognition
-self awareness
Dogs may not pass test as they can tell by sense of smell that the mirror image is not an animal
Some animals may not find mark important
johnes- paratuberculosis
infection caused by bacteria in the small intestines- normally just after cow has been born
it causes chronic diarrhoea and weight loss, as well as a soft swelling under the jaw caused by protein loss(bottle jaw). It is terminal
virtual vet med society
Every Tuesday, I attended a conference.
