Ep. 79 - Evolution: From Chimps to Chests ft. Éamon Callison

<p><strong>Éamon Callison</strong>, originally from Denver (elevation ~5280 ft), is finishing his <strong>PhD </strong>in <strong>Human Evolutionary Biology</strong> at <strong>Harvard University</strong>. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Philosophy of Science at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by an MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge. His dissertation work has focused on understanding the form and function of the human chest. He is interested in how humans have evolved to breathe during sustained endurance activities, like running, and how selection has affected how we use our ribs to inhale and exhale. To answer these questions, he has measured thoracic motion in humans, dogs, and goats, examined lots of bones, measured human fossils, and worked in the Peruvian Andes (elevation ~14230 ft). We're extremely lucky to have him on the show -- and trust me when I say: he delivers!</p> <p><em><strong>Sneak Peek</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Q: </strong>What do coyotes, pigeons and humans have in common?<br> <strong>A: </strong>They're all massively adaptible and flourish in different environments.<br> <br> <strong>Q: </strong>Why am I a biped?<br> <strong>A: </strong>UBER Eats didn't exist 7 million years ago.<br> <br> <strong>Q:</strong> Are there as of yet unknown biological mechanisms that could confer even greater ventilation ability in humans?<br> <strong>A: </strong>*nerding out so hard you need to take a breather* yes and no...<br> <br> <strong>TOPICS &amp; CONCEPTS<br> </strong>Breathing &amp; Ventilation<br> Gestation &amp; Birth<br> Evolution of the Thoracic Cage<br> Environment &amp; Culture<br> Natural Selection: Heritability, Variation &amp; Competition<br> The Modern Human Timeline<br> Last Common Ancestors (LCA) &amp; Chimpanzees<br> Forest Fragmentation &amp; The Evolution of Bipedality<br> Energy Expenditure<br> The Treasured Chest<br> Paleontology<br> Funnel vs. Barrel<br> The Expensive Tissue Hypothesis<br> Shape vs. Function<br> The Costo