Genetic basis for peakbagging patches.

[prino]

I tried to give you a greeny for that one but I have to spread the love around someplace else.

 

[Chip]

Excellent work here, Neil.

MB: now if the females were shown to have evolved a propensity or preference to mate with patch-bearers I'd say you're on to something.

Perhaps a Poll is in order.

G: ...but, due to social pressures, threat of divorce and loss of net worth he has found a substitute that in spite of some marital tension on the home front allows him to act out his genetic destiny.

Perhaps a Poll is in order here for how many members could use this as their signature line.

 

[ColdRiverRun]

And Cory, everyone knows of course that the ADK-46, although a lesser size than the 48 of the Whites, is a much more difficult endeavor requiring slighter better peakbagging genes.

Neil, it doesn't matter what patch you have..as long as it's the biggest.

 

[Paradox]

I have read and carefully considered all of the posts in this thread, and respectfully submit the following as a case study.

When I encountered the following hiking inclined individual (see figure 1) he clearly had all his impregnation "hardware" out and ready to distribute all of his available gametes. He had presented his male genitalia in full view of any and all available females. When I encountered this individual, I was researching another completely unrelated topic, and hence, could not subject the individual to proper measurements or tests and cannot report physical data.


Figure 1

IMHO (though I am no judge of these sort of things) that having viewed this subject frontally it is certain that no female homo sapiens would be neither enticed to reproduce nor threatened by this individual despite his display and/or lack of patches.

However, would someone, please give this guy a large, and strategically located patch!

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Yeah sorry about that John, laundry day.

 

[Puma concolor]

I very rarely see a patch out on the trail. I have mine arranged in a nice 12" X 12" frame on the wall currently right by the computer.

As to the whole genetic thing, I don't know about all that. I just like the pretty views. Generally speaking, I think there are very wild differences among peakbaggers and it's hard to put them into a neat little stereotypical group. If there is any common thread, I think we are mostly a bunch of misfits at heart ... same could be said for non-peakbagger hikers and climbers.

 

[Jazzbo]

You've got another cool gene ... sense of humor gene

Treasure of Sierra Madre. Humphrey Bogart asks .... Where are your patches? The bandito responds puzzled "Patches?" and then indignantly "Patches! We don't need no stinking patches!"

Neil .... Boy do I love your sense of humor! I suppose that's another survival trait. At least keeps your companions entertained on some of these long excursions.

 

[Puck]

I don’t think that peakbagging has anything to do with sexual selection or passing on genes to the F1.

When an elected official want to hide an affair (sexual prowess) he said he was hiking on the AT. I asked my wife if she will now be suspicious if every time I told her I was hiking that she would think I am really having an affair. She stated that I come back so smelly and dirty nobody would want to have an affair with me. My conclusion is hiking leads to a celibate life style.

The hiking behavior may be more analogous to migration habits to follow game or find areas with edible plants. Male mate potential increases as he demonstrates his ability to provide ie be the best hunter, gatherer of fisher. I come home from a trip empty handed and hungry. I am not an alpha lion with prey but a hyena with an appetite. Mate potential is falling like a rock.


Perhaps hiking and peakbagging is a consuming behavior/ritual that may lead to extinction of a breed like the Shakers who could not have children. (It may have been the dances)

At least they had something to show for themselves:

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Worth Noting

It may be worth noting at this point that only geeks would be having this discussion. The patchless alpha males are out peakbagging. Sorry, gotta go add to my list.

KDT

 

[Nutsosa]

Geneticist (G): based on what we know about genetic clocks and genetic divergence it could very well be that your sub-group is a mutant.

I have a hypothesis: it's the Nalgene bottles. All this time, we thought the chemical leaching out of the plastic was an estrogen mimic. I suggest that it is a mutagen, and has resulted in the new patch-mutant sub-group.

There is a tradition in genetics, where you get to name a new gene when you discover it. I think we should start mapping the gene involved in the patch-wearing phenotype, and give it an appropriate name. If we need help picking names, we should look to the fruit fly geneticists. They have come up with some of the best gene names (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100468532).

 

[DougPaul]

I have a hypothesis: it's the Nalgene bottles. All this time, we thought the chemical leaching out of the plastic was an estrogen mimic. I suggest that it is a mutagen, and has resulted in the new patch-mutant sub-group.

You will have to search for another mutagen--hiking patches predate the popular use of polycarbonate water bottles.

Besides, a mutagen is not required: random variation would be adequate.

Doug

 

[Neil]

I just received word of an anthropological conference where it has just been brought to light that Neanderthals were into peakbagging. Neanderthals were primitive and in something like 60 000 years of existence spread over much of Africa and Eurasia never developed tools more sophisticated than banging rocks together.

Thanks to glacial retreat a group of Neanderthals was discovered near the mountains of Eastern Asia and, get this, these dudes all had peakbagging patches - crudely made of stone inserted into slits in their animal hide clothing.

Note that Neanderthals were anatomically built to peakbag having very powerful leg muscles and extremely stout leg bones.

Pictures of the patches are forthcoming.

This raises the question. How did the peakbagging gene jump from Neanderthals to anatomically modern man who is thought to have exterminated the Neanderthals 40 000 years ago. Obviously there must have been inter-breeding going on. Either that or the gene was vectored in to modern man's genome by a virus ingested while eating Neanderthal flesh.

It is speculated that recovery of the recently found Neanderthals' genes will lead to an attempt at culturing Neanderthal fetusses and fully grown individuals.

 

[Paradox]

... Neanderthals were into peakbagging. Neanderthals were primitive and ... never developed tools more sophisticated than banging rocks together.

I'll bet this led to some very interesting TRs. And how about those trailnames: "Dave Metstone", "Flint Chip", "Jazzboulder", "forestgneiss", and don't forget "Din-O". Wait, wait, oh how about Pararocks!

 

[Juniper]

Perhaps Unfrozen Caveman can shed some light on the issue...

 

[Neil]

Perhaps Unfrozen Caveman can shed some light on the issue...

Did the Neanderthals practice yoga or burn pallets?

Could this gentleman be UFC's uncle?

 

[mavs00]

You know, I remember reading this thread the other day and thinking "Pleeeeh, another one of Neil's useless and dumb threads". Boys will be boys. Who really puts much stock in the number (or size) of patches one has dangling from their rucksack? Is that really the measure of a man? Is it not the content of our character that defines us, rather than the trivial adornments that we encumber ourselves with?

............ and THEN, over the weekend, I was farting around downstairs in an old utility drawer and found THESE.

Yes Folks. That is an unused VFFT patch (circa 2001, out of print), an unused adkhighpeaks patch (circa 2006, out of print), and an unused ADKForum patch (circa 2004, out of print). The complete trifecta of internet hiking prowess.

I believe I am the only human being that can boost such a collection. I am fairly certain of this in fact. Of course, being able to make that claim makes me a far superior human specimin than the rest of you saps.

Suck on that you losers



p.s. because most anthropologists concede that promiscuity is inherent to our species, including one a superior as myself, I am not above giving in to my whorish tendencies and parting with this amazing collection for the right price

 

[TrishandAlex]

I just received word of an anthropological conference where it has just been brought to light that Neanderthals were into peakbagging. Neanderthals were primitive and in something like 60 000 years of existence spread over much of Africa and Eurasia never developed tools more sophisticated than banging rocks together.

Actually, Neanderthals were probably just as intelligent as Homo sapiens sapiens. The tools used by the two subspecies (neanderthalensis and sapiens) were very much alike. They also had larger brains and more muscular bodies.

Last I heard, it's still a mystery as to what made them die out....

(I was a Ph.D. candidate in biological anthropology when the kids came along)

 

[Neil]

Actually, Neanderthals were probably just as intelligent as Homo sapiens sapiens. The tools used by the two subspecies (neanderthalensis and sapiens) were very much alike. They also had larger brains and more muscular bodies.

Last I heard, it's still a mystery as to what made them die out....

(I was a Ph.D. candidate in biological anthropology when the kids came along)

Neanderthals had brains as big as ours, well maybe a lot bigger than mine.... but lacked:

needles and sewing (pretty tough to sew a peakbagging patch on with no needles), art, tools with handles, or functionally distinct types of tools, boats, long-distance trade, cultural variation over wide distances, and their stone tools show no signs of innovation over 60,000 years.

But, they used fire, buried their dead and cared for the sick.

They rarely lived beyond 40 and so they lacked elders to pass on knowledge to successive generations. As soon as modern man shows up: poof ! no more Neanderthals. Weaponry versus strength = First genocide?

 

[TrishandAlex]

Neanderthals had brains as big as ours, well maybe a lot bigger than mine.... but lacked:

needles and sewing (pretty tough to sew a peakbagging patch on with no needles), art, tools with handles, or functionally distinct types of tools, boats, long-distance trade, cultural variation over wide distances, and their stone tools show no signs of innovation over 60,000 years.

But, they used fire, buried their dead and cared for the sick.

They rarely lived beyond 40 and so they lacked elders to pass on knowledge to successive generations. As soon as modern man shows up: poof ! no more Neanderthals. Weaponry versus strength = First genocide?

Actually, their brains were significantly bigger than ours (occipital lobe).

Their tools were similar to the tools Homo sapiens sapiens had during the same time periods.

There's no evidence to suggest their natural lifespan was any longer or shorter than that of Homo sapiens sapiens (unless there's been a recent discovery I'm not aware of).

And....there is evidence suggesting that the two subspecies coincided in the some of the same regions for tens of thousands of years.

I haven't been in grad school for a few years -- so if there have been discoveries that of late defy the above statements, I apologize. As of 2005, however, the above was correct.

PS -- I concur that they were probably unable to sew on peakbagging patches.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Neanderthals had brains as big as ours.......but lacked:......art,

May have had art......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3256228.stm