BBC Focus Magazine

[M Paul Lloyd]

Nearly missed it, Channel 4, 21:00 hrs 'Inside Natures Giants' (note to self, must pay more attention to Radio Times) Tuesday 8 June... TODAY!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/insi ... res-giants

It dealt with sharks and to my mind was most illuminating, My youngest and I have this evolutionary 'challenge' going on, she favours Sharks, me Crocodiles and after tonight's showing Sharks came out well on top.

[Ush]

I saw it. Excellent stuff. Next week they dissect a snake in the Amazon.

[Nails]

Nearly missed it myself, ut really glad I saw it.

Fascinating seeing a sharks intestines, I've never seen anything quite like it before.

Awesome.

Bring on the snakes!

[M Paul Lloyd]

Yes the spiral gut was quite amazing and unlike anything I have ever seen, in actual fact the whole creature is a bit odd with a jaw that is effectively made from modified ribs and scales that are in effect teeth ..... or was that the other way round?

It helps to bring home just how diverse life can be.

[Nails]

My understanding of evolution is that teeth evolved in some of the earliest predators, before bone, cartlidge etc. (think of a lamprey as being similar to the earliest predators)

Cartlidge came before bone, presumably to anchor down these newly-evolving teeth - and later on came bones as we know them today.
As sharks do not have bones, I wonder if this is another reason why the Crocodilians can bite down much harder?

Many modern structures have copied the 'tooth' plan (ie a structure that grows through the skin) such as hair, feathers and nipples.

Sharks skin is basically made of hundreds of rows of tiny tooth-like structures which are just adaptations of the mouth - and quite similar in overall design to scales, just slightly tougher.

I think there is a section on this in Neil Shubin's book 'Your Inner Fish'.

So it would appear that the tools to bite evolved early, and may have driven the evolution of shells and armour.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Yes of course you are spot on as usual Nails, many molluscs, including the good old garden snail have teeth, and if memory serves molluscs are amongst some of the more 'primitive' life forms.

[jekyll83]

awesome program. so interesting i love it....

[Pandora]

The eye was amazing.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Retractable no less. A most useful feature given their physiology.

[Nails]

It is amazing how nature can adapt a body plan with such an obvious flaw (ie the jaw being detatched from the skull) and turn it into a strength.

As I have studied very little about fish evolution and physiology, I really enjoyed this little insight.

Can't wait for the python, all I really know about snakes I learned from Steve Irwin's programmes!

[M Paul Lloyd]

The Python was good but the big cats (final episode) was even better, we even got a scientific discovery being made during filming, now that is what I call a ringside seat.

One snippet that intrigued me was the comment that meat is much easier to digest than vegetable matter thus explaining the animals uncomplicated gut......... which is the exact opposite of what I was told, as in, meat is difficult to digest and hangs around in our gut festering and causing us humans terrible problems!?
Are our respective physiological make ups so very different?

[The Beige Avenger]

I think they'd be referring to cellulose, things like grass etc which are very difficult to digest; it's why cows need a couple of stomachs and why we can't eat grass.

Cabbage on the other hand is quite digestible.... toot toot.

[Nails]

One snippet that intrigued me was the comment that meat is much easier to digest than vegetable matter thus explaining the animals uncomplicated gut......... which is the exact opposite of what I was told, as in, meat is difficult to digest and hangs around in our gut festering and causing us humans terrible problems!?

I think that is a myth thrown around by the veggie brigade to be honest MPL.

I rememebr reading an article in New Scientist saying something very similar a year or so ago, but I can't find a link.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I suspected as much Nails. I'm happy as an omnivore.

[Jamie]

Anyone see the hippo one last night . . . . and here's me thinking I had a large stomach!

[M Paul Lloyd]

I knew I was supposed to record something!!

Thankfully Channel 4 have their own version of iplayer called 4oD ?
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/insi ... od#3310749