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Talk:Essay: Regenerative ability of early humans (view source)
Revision as of 13:50, April 8, 2010
, 13:50, April 8, 2010Editing Talk:Essay: Regenerative ability of early humans Reply to Sunda62
:::Your remark that there seems to be a natural life limit is interesting. I do not know what you mean by "creatures that don't die naturally tend to grow" indefinitely, could you explain? If we look at the Axolotl for example, specimens are limited to a fairly reasonable size and lifespan. On a related note, I do not think a regenerative ability would necessarily remove the harmful (and ultimately lethal) consequences of old age. Regards, --[[User:TSpencer|TSpencer]] 09:09, 8 April 2010 (EDT)
:::Your remark that there seems to be a natural life limit is interesting. I do not know what you mean by "creatures that don't die naturally tend to grow" indefinitely, could you explain? If we look at the Axolotl for example, specimens are limited to a fairly reasonable size and lifespan. On a related note, I do not think a regenerative ability would necessarily remove the harmful (and ultimately lethal) consequences of old age. Regards, --[[User:TSpencer|TSpencer]] 09:09, 8 April 2010 (EDT)
* Unfortunately, I can't quote reliable sources, but I remember that I read somewhere that lifeforms without a biological time-bomb tend to grow until the square-cube law kills them. This article [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/cbd-faq-q2.htm Crocodilian Biology Database, at www.flmnh.ufl.edu] discusses this theory that alligators grow forever. The biological time-bomb is a '''good''' thing for the species, because it allows old and big speciments to leave and give space to the new generation. [[User:Sunda62|Sunda62]] 09:33, 8 April 2010 (EDT)
* Unfortunately, I can't quote reliable sources, but I remember that I read somewhere that lifeforms without a biological time-bomb tend to grow until the square-cube law kills them. This article [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/cbd-faq-q2.htm Crocodilian Biology Database, at www.flmnh.ufl.edu] discusses this theory that alligators grow forever. The biological time-bomb is a '''good''' thing for the species, because it allows old and big speciments to leave and give space to the new generation. [[User:Sunda62|Sunda62]] 09:33, 8 April 2010 (EDT)
:In order to observe that indefinite growth, we would need to find a lifeform without a "biological time-bomb". The only one I can think of is the [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/4357829/Immortal-jellyfish-swarming-across-the-world.html Turritopsis Nutricula] and it does not grow indefinitely. The article on crocodiles says that they "reach a maximum size where growth stops or becomes extremely slow in old age". We would also expect the presence of gigantic, fossil human skeletons. This brings to mind the theory that [http://www.angelfire.com/mi/dinosaurs/patriarch.htmlNeanderthal fossils are the remains of the first humans], whose facial bones would have grown for centuries. Regards, --[[User:TSpencer|TSpencer]] 09:50, 8 April 2010 (EDT)