I mentioned earlier that I gave a talk at the University of Wisconsin last Saturday during their celebration of Darwin Day (it was his 200th birthday on 2/12, the same day as Lincoln’s 200th birthday). My talk centered on one of his less well-known books, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. This book came out only a few months after the publication of The Descent of Man, and was designed to provide further support to his contention that humans evolved from common ancestors as other animals. He knew how profoundly controversial this would be (he delayed writing his first book, The Origin of Species, for twenty years, because he was so concerned about its reception.)
As we know, his concerns were well founded. The contention that humans are related to other animals was a profoundly distressing thought to many then, as it is now. That is partly why he spent so much time documenting and supporting his argument. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals was designed as yet more evidence that there is a continuum between people and other animals. In my talk I updated his arguments, bringing in recent developments in neurobiology and psychology that cement our close relationship with other mammals. (See Jaak Panskepp’s Affective Neuroscience. This is NOT beach reading, but if you like science and are truly interested in the brain and behavior, it is a phenomenal piece of work.)
The speaker before me, Sean Carroll, gave a fantastic talk about the adventures of three men, Darwin, Wallace and Bates. Each of these men lived in the 1800’s (they all became friends actually) and spent at least four years away from home (Bates over ten years) describing and collecting animals and plants from what, to them, were foreign lands. Keep in mind that at that time much of the world was completely alien to Englishmen like the three above, and their work was a revelation to many. They collected tens of thousands of specimens, discovering literally thousands of animals new to the biologists of Europe and Great Britain. They suffered through unimaginable hardships (Wallace spent four dangerous and exhausting years traveling up the Amazon, only to have the boat returning he and his collections burn up and sink all his work with it to the bottom of the ocean. Wallace himself barely survived.)
Each of these men were careful and fastidious recorders of the location of each specimen, and it was the combination of their extensive collections and their attention to detail that allowed them, Wallace and Darwin independently, to suggest that species of butterflies, for example, that lived on side by side islands and resembled each other closely were derived from a common ancestor. Bates’ most compelling evidence for evolution by natural selection was the existence of many harmless butterfly species that mimic the coloration of poisonous or distasteful ones. Now called Batesian mimicry, these copy cat butterflies avoid predation by looking like the ones that taste bad, and are only found in the same area as the model, nasty tasting ones. This system of self preservation could only work if the butterflies that best mimic the models are eaten less than the others, eventually selecting for closer and closer matches.
All this is described far better than I can here in Carroll’s new book, Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origin of Species. I’ve only read the first section on Darwin, Wallace and Bates, but I can tell you that it reads like a novel. I got late this morning because I couldn’t put it down…
Meanwhile, the weather has settled into typical February highs and lows, day times in the low thirties, night times in the teens. Although there’s no charm in dirty patches of snow and frozen mud, at least one can get around without struggling through knee deep snow or sinking into cold mud. I’m hoping to get in some long walks with the dogs this weekend, especially since I’m working the next two (seminar in Columbus, Ohio, speaking at IFAAB in Tucson). It’ll be good for Lassie, the deep snow was too much for her to manage on our last long walk, so I had to turn around and take her back to the car.
Willie’s shoulder surgery is scheduled for March 26th, when I have no travel plans for the next several months. I am working hard to look at silver linings: not having to sound like a control freak when I train house sitters (“You can throw the frisbee for him five times, but not six. You can only throw it so he lands up hill, never down hill….”), all the tricks I”ll teach him when he can’t do anything but walk for 6 + weeks. (He probably has a damaged tendon, the one that connects his bicep to his shoulder blade.)
Here are some photos of the dogs: Lassie in her new bed, Willie before the snow melted. Any thoughts about \how much we can surmise about their internal states from their expressions?
Robin says
New bed: cozy. Nice powder: fun. They each look comfortable.
Regarding: nothing but walking for six weeks. Groan. I can relate. My dog, Noodle (9 YO mutt), had surgery to repair torn cruciate ligament on one of her rear legs two +half weeks ago and she’s already had enough of this recovery & PT program. “Why can’t I stay outside by myself?” Ha! I can’t trust her to not flush the birds or chase a squirrel or rabbit out of her yard. I have to be creative in finding balance. I strive to keep her from being bored — make sure she’s mentally stimulated enough, while keeping her physical exercise low-key. She’s not a young, always thinking/anticipating border collie, I can’t imagine how you’re going to handle Willie but I’m sure we’ll be hearing how it goes.
Libbye says
You might be interested in this article on Darwin and his connection with dogs. He was one of “us”.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/05/dogs-hunting-cambridge-university-opinions-darwin09_0205_david_allen_feller.html
Dave Feller is doing his PhD at Cambridge on how dogs shaped Darwin’s approach to his research. It’s fascinating stuff!
Shaya says
Lassie looks like she’s feeling grumpy and may have been just woken up. Willie looks excited like he wants to play. That’s just my guess from facial expressions.
Glenna Lynch says
What a wonderful happy look on Willie’s face! And I agree w/ another post, Lassie looks like she doesn’t want anyone to mess w/ her, maybe she wanted to make sure she doesn’t have to share her bed.
About Willie’s shoulder. Patricia, are you familiar w/ the growing field of Canine Rehab? I’m in the process of going through the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medicine School’s program. I am a Physical Therapist, the program is open to Vets, Vet Techs, PTs and PT assistants. I would highly recommend finding a CCRP (Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner) in your area. Here’s a link to help you find one:
http://www.canineequinerehab.com/practitioners.asp
Sabine says
For once I’m glad I live in VA. We’ve been having springlike temperatures and my daily walks with the dogs are so much fun. I hope summer won’t come for another lifetime. (The summers here are cruel ! )
Lassie looks as if she does not agree with the “new bed smell” yet. She’s rather suspicious of her new sleeping place, it seems. Willie on the other hand looks rather enthusiastic about the white stuff. 🙂
As far as the books go you talked about: I just put an order in at Amazon and can’t wait to start reading ! Right now I’m reading Stanley Cohen’s “How dogs think” and I find it fascinating.
Have a wonderful Sunday ! I’m off to the woods to walk the dogs. Yesterday we saw lots of deer and at least four pileated woodpeckers ! Looking forward to today’s observations. Not quite like yesteryear’s explorers, but nonetheless interesting.
Don says
Lassie looks like she had just been awoken.
Willie looks like he’d be play-bowing but for the snow holding him up!
Lynn says
Willie: “Throw the frisbee! Throw the frisbee! Throw the frisbee!”
Lassie: “Willie, stop playing frisbee, and bring me a stuffed kong.”
Robin Layton says
Not knowing the dogs it is harder to determine what is going on with Lassie. She is wearing the look my older female has when she’s on her bed at the end of the day and she’s tired. I would have to say it is probably easier to say what expressions I am not seeing in Lassie. She is definitely not playful or excited. She doesn’t look like she’s being possessive of her bed. So she’s in a neutral place emotionally and just tired. Willie on the other hand has a relaxed looking mouth and seems playful.
Kerry L. says
Willie is saying “I LOVE the snow!!” Lassie is saying “Snow is for pups, I LOVE my new bed!!”
Michelle says
My interpretations: Lassie looks rather neutral. Not angry, not excited, not happy. Just…there. Maybe a little tired. Her face doesn’t look particularly tight or loose to me (though it’s hard to tell with the white of her muzzle blending into the white on her body). Willie looks rather playful and happy — his mouth is open in a big happy doggy grin and his face is covered in snow which means he’s probably happily playing in the white stuff. My dog (Dahlia) looks much like that when she’s run up to me after racing through the snow. They definitely love it more than I do!
patti says
Just a thought and I’m sure you know about them but perhaps Willie would like Nina Ottoson’s puzzles during rehab for mental stimulation?
Willie certainly wants to keep playing! I think Lassie wants to go back to sleep, perhaps?
ABandMM says
Lassie seems to have that “and what do you want” look on her face.
Willie seems to have the “c’mon, throw me the ball (or frisbee), throw it, c’mon”.
My dog is very mellow (loves to curl up in a ball and sleep). I wish there was some way we could do an “energy exchange” during Willie’s rehab. Good luck keeping him calm and on limited activity during rehab.
Jennifer Hamilton says
Long story, but my dog, Isabelle, a young, high-energy, highly driven Portuguese Water Dog (and I) survived 3 total hip replacements (THRs), 1 triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO), and 1 Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)…and yes, all performed on the same dog, but not necessarily in that order. It’s been a sad journey, fortunately with a happy ending. I made a commitment to keep fighting for her until she was either out of horrible pain or she told me she no longer had the will to live. Fortunately for both of us (but not my pocketbook) she never gave up her will to fight. And so here we are having survived smart dog orthopedic rehab hell. (I’m thinking about writing a book about our expereince called “My brain is driving at warp speed, but my body is still in the shop.”
All of that is to say that I’ve spent the past several years compelled to come up with: 1) brain games a dog can do who can only move her head, literally; 2) brain games a dog can do lying down, able only to move her head and two front paws; 3) brain games a dog can do from a sit position; and finally 4) brain games a dog can do while walking only for short distances. I must admit there were a few days that I chose sedatives rather than brain games…only because my brain got exhausted from trying to come up with so many brain games. (I won’t tell which of those days the sedatives were for me and which were for her.)
So, if you need any support or creative ideas during Will’s orthopedic surgery recovery and rehab, please don’t hesitate to ask. I know what you will be going through…times six. Although I must say, I’ve never had to come up with “brain games a dog can do moving only his head and two back legs”…that would most certainly challenge the best of our brain game skills.
Jennifer
Michelle says
Jennifer — I think you should write a book on those games. Or at least a pamphlet or blog entry! I would imagine that a lot of people who are in that situation with their dogs could make good use of such games.
Sabine says
Hi Jennifer,
I went exactly through the same hell with my Standard Poodle and I’m so glad to read that your dog pulled through all the surgeries and came out victorious. So did mine – just to die of pancreatic cancer a few weeks later and we hadn’t even noticed………….. 🙁 I’m still in tears just thinking about this dog’s fight for a better life just to be struck down by cancer.
http://666kb.com/i/b6l5shy6psy18292n.jpg
Trisha says
What great ideas from so many of you. I can’t wait to see Dave Feller’s book on Darwin and Dogs, I remember talking briefly to him about it.. I hope it comes out soon. Thanks for the article, Libbye! And also thanks so much to Glynna for the link to CCRP’s, I will definitely check it out. There was a great Physical Therapist in Madison who used to work with dogs in the evenings, but I believe she’s not doing it any more, so I appreciate the contact info. I’m a huge believer in physical therapy (one is helping me now with my arthritic hands!), so it’d be great if I could find someone in Madison.
Jennifer: All I can say is that you are a saint. What an amazing lucky dog you have. I too taught Will a lot of tricks when he was on “crate rest” (absurd title, yes… Will could turn somersaults in his crate) for six weeks when he was 9 months old. (Yes, we’ve been through this before, same shoulder.) But I can’t imagine 6 surgeries.. I agree with Michelle… you should write a book! (And thanks Patti for the reminder about the Ottoson toys. I’ve seen them, written about them, but don’t have any. There were a ton when I spoke in Germany, but they were way too heavy to bring back!
Regarding Willie and Lassie.. Willie looks exactly like that the entire time we play frisbee (except when running after it or when it’s in his mouth.. okay, I guess it’s just when he’s waiting for me to throw it.) He loves it like life on earth, he’ll miss it terribly. Lassie, who is so very much more serious than most dogs I’ve ever had, often has a serious, mouth closed look on her face. Her face looks pretty neutral to me, but it’s certainly not the face of a joyful, slap-happy dog!
Trisha says
Sabine: Somehow I didn’t see your post before I wrote above. I got tears in my eyes reading about your dog. Life is just not fair, and I still can’t quite get over it. One of my best girlfriends died about a year ago after a horrendous fight with cancer, and I am continually amazed at the ability of a human to feel intense joy and unbearable emotional pain, within minutes of eachother. What a double edged sword. All I can say is, I am glad you can lie in bed at night knowing how hard you tried, and that you were such an amazingly great friend to your dog. I think that’s all we can ask for, really, that we have dedicated and wonderful friends, just like you.
Sabine says
Thanks for your comforting words – they mean a lot to me. I still am in tears thinking back of those eight short years I had with my boy. He did have some good days and during those days he was the happiest and kindest dog imaginable. He was a Delta Society Pet Partner and gave joy to many less fortunate seniors and children. He is sorely missed…….
I often think about him and wonder, if I did the right thing to have all these surgeries done. I feel that I had no choice. Each and every time we thought this would be the last one and then he’d develop compliactions of some sort. Finally we had the leg cured and the day he went in to have his fixator removed from his hind leg, the tumors in his belly burst open and he had to be euthanized on the operating table. (Now I’m crying again. 🙁 )
On a lighter note: I started reading one of the books you recommended (Remarkable Creatures by Sean B. Carroll) and couldn’t put it down either. What really fascinated me were a few historical facts we never learned in history class, i.e. Alexander Humboldt’s journey to see Jefferson, and Jefferson being such a – let’s say – “hobby paleantologist”. Also Wallace’s misfortune of losing years of research to a storm on his trip back home. It is a fascinating book and I couldn’t put it down either. I read about a 100 pages last night and had to be forcefully removed from it by my husband. 😀
Sabine says
Ooops – I forgot. If you are looking for Ottoson toys in the US you can find them here:
http://www.pawlickers.com/products/manufacturers/nina-ottosson
I hope that helps.
Sabine
Sabine says
Hi,
I think my link fits best in this category. 🙂
Today on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102173062
Sean B. Carroll speaking about “Remarkable Creatures”. If anyone would like to listen in.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Sabine