Wild Animals

Ancestral Health Symposium video

Below is my talk from the Ancestral Health Symposium.  It's called "Wild Animals, Zoos, and You: The Influence of Habitat on Health".  I talk about what we can learn about human health from animals in zoos, including some of these fun topics:

  • the origins of jumbo jets, jumbo shrimp, and Dumbo
  • a brief history of zoos 
  • the most dangerous animal in zoos
  • the most famous (and worst) piece of modern architecture in zoos
  • biological organisms as information processors
  • the "Un-Zoo" 
  • cheetah sex
  • why gorillas should be vegans
  • gorge and fast feeding in captive lions
  • why gerbils dig
  • a neutral approach to health (the Veil of Ignorance)
  • how do you make anything healthy?
  • our last connection to the wild 

And here are the slides -- you'll definitely want to follow along, I used a lot of pictures.  Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments.


Updated list of wild animals ignorant of calories

As many of you know, I am compiling a list of wild animals that do not know what a calorie is.  Thanks to all the readers who left additions in the comments.  I am embarrassed by some of my omissions (armadillo, duh).

A reader asks me whether only living species count, or could extinct species be on the list too.  Good question.  Since extinct species are extinct, we cannot say with certainty that they do not know what a calorie is.   It would be different if they had left behind a written record stating their ignorance of calories -- but we have yet to find that record.  So sorry, I cannot put Tiktaalik on the list.  That's called science, people, and unlike in sports, not everyone gets a trophy.
 
Here's the updated list (new animals in bold):
  • Aardvark
  • Armadillo
  • African buffalo
  • Hamadryas Baboon
  • European Beaver
  • Cormorant
  • Dragonfly
  • Fat-tailed Gerbil
  • Hawk
  • Hippopotamus
  • Hyena
  • Llama
  • Moose
  • Panda
  • Pangolin (!)
  • Peacock
  • Australian Pelican
  • Squid
  • Urchin
  • Walrus
 
Any others that I'm missing?
 
I think you enjoy being hard to categorize

List of animals that do not know what a calorie is

I am compiling a list of animals that do not know what a calorie is.  If you know of any other animals that should be on this list, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.  I would like to make it comprehensive as possible.  THANK YOU.
  • Aardvark
  • African buffalo
  • Hamadryas Baboon
  • European Beaver
  • Cormorant
  • Dragonfly
  • Fat-tailed Gerbil
  • Hawk
  • Llama
  • Australian Pelican
  • Walrus (a very sad case because they are so fat)

Any that I'm missing?

Don't be sad, Mr. Walrus

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