December 3, 2014

At "the Festival of Bad Ad-Hoc Hypotheses, or BAHFest, a satirical conference on evolutionary biology held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology."

One theory addressed "why we yawn... one of 'the enduring mysteries of human physiology,'" according to Emma Kowal, who offered this bogus theory:
Flying insects are high in protein. They gather in dense swarms most frequently at dawn and dusk, not-so-coincidentally the times of day when we are most likely to yawn.

Therefore, she says, “these insects served as an alternative protein source for our hunter-gatherer ancestors, with yawning as the primary gathering mechanism.” In other words: We evolved to yawn to catch bugs to eat.

Ms. Kowal, a senior studying chemical and physical biology, cited as evidence everything from our chemical response (“after we yawn, there’s a spike in cortisol levels, which is a mark of hunger”) to the way our faces distort (“eyes shut so insects won’t get in, mouth open as wide as possible to maximize capture”).
 (That link was sent by a reader who saw that I'd taken an interest in a particular yawn.)

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Therefore, she says, “these insects served as an alternative protein source for our hunter-gatherer ancestors, with yawning as the primary gathering mechanism.” In other words: We evolved to yawn to catch bugs to eat."

This is how most of evolution is explained, through these just so stories.

Ya'll call it science.

And you wonder why we doubt. Why we are skeptical. Why Intelligent Design sounds more plausible than these stories you make up.

Hagar said...

Lamarck is dead, but his spirit lives.

Clayton Hennesey said...

Look at me caught skimming! I first thought this post was about the PBS explainer on the Ferguson story.

Bob Ellison said...

That might explain the evolution of the bicycle, too. If you yawn while bicycling, you stand a much better chance of catching bugs in your mouth.

madAsHell said...

In the economics department, they call it Grubering.

Fernandinande said...

Sounds like something from "The Journal of Irreproducible Results", which I stumbled across in the Engineering library, tucked in amongst real journals (1970s).

It had informative articles about cancers caused by Superman's X-ray vision, and how hoarding National Geographic magazines creates earthquakes.

Walter S. said...

When my friend was a toddler...

Friend: WE DON'T EAT FLIES.

Grownup: Why not?

Friend: BECAUSE THEY FLY AWAY FROM MY MOUF.

The story is denied by everyone who is in a position to know, but it is good enough to be true anyway.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Yawning is an inhale, so flies would go down the windpipe and you'd choke on 'em or splutter them out. Not too adaptive.

tim in vermont said...

I agree that evolutionary biology can be a joke sometimes. However; the "just so" stories of modern feminists that an impartial and good-hearted universe created men and women as equal in every way, and that evolution has nothing to do with behavioral differences between sexes is equally laughable.

D.D. Driver said...

That sounds like a chapter from a Malcolm Gladwell book.

Goju said...

There was an article somewhere that said sociopaths and psychopaths do not yawn in response to others around them yawning. This is supposedly due to their lack of empathy for others.
Maybe we yawn to see who yawns in response. We have just forgot this evolutionary adaption to indentify sociopaths/psychopaths.

FullMoon said...

Goju said... [hush]​[hide comment]

There was an article somewhere that said sociopaths and psychopaths do not yawn in response to others around them yawning. This is supposedly due to their lack of empathy for others.
Maybe we yawn to see who yawns in response. We have just forgot this evolutionary adaption to indentify sociopaths/psychopaths.

Thanks for the info. I will be sure to respond with a seemingly natural yawn for now on.

Unknown said...

I wish I had the time & inclination to spoof global warming in an obfuscated title linked to some evolutionary biological outcome and submit a paper.

rhhardin said...

Yawns are for getting everybody to go to bed at the same time so you can get a good night's sleep.

This assumes you don't sleep with a dog.

Michael K said...

"Sounds like something from "The Journal of Irreproducible Results","

I read it for years. Not that less reliable than many other journals.

Goju said...

Fullmoon, thats what the voices in my head tell me to do.

Guildofcannonballs said...

As long as it's not Jack Lipnick taking an interest it's okay by me.

http://www.empireonline.com/features/the-best-alternative-coen-characters/default.asp?page=6

mikee said...

If you report on the Ig Noble Awards and start linking articles from the Journal of Irreproducible Results (which once declined a paper I submitted for being not only too brief but also not funny), I guarantee your readership will increase.

And also that Garage will comment on such articles, making the point that the white man is evil.