Evolution of the Holstein

Alright, now here's a subject that bears investigation. Or rather, wouldn't it be prudent to use science (and history) to our advantage once we understand something about the process of evolution?

There's an article in this weeks New York Times Magazine called, A Dying Breed: A Cautionary Tale of Well-Intentioned Development by a fellow named Andrew Rice. It chronicles Uganda's transition from the Longhorn Ankole cow to the American Holstein, and ultimately, the potential loss of genetic variation in African cattle.

The Holstein is capable of providing 20-30 times as much milk as an African Ankole, which is significant given the level of poverty affecting Uganda. But the Holstein doesn't deal well with heat, while the Ankole has long horns that function to disperse excess body heat. Other traits specific to Holsteins are that they are commonly ill and require imported medicine (we tend to deal with this by pumping cattle with preventative antibiotics) and they consume more resources than will be ultimately sustainable. In contrast, the Ankole is resistant to far more strains of disease and is capable of sustaining a draught, but will not produce the quantity of milk that a farmer needs to prosper.

In other words, while this transition allows many Ugandan's to thrive in the short term, becoming reliant on a livelihood that's unsustainable will put the country in a precarious position. And many of the tribes in Uganda are lactose intolerant. The other side of this dilemma is that the Holstein has brought resources to an impoverished country. Rice acknowledges that, "An estimated 70 percent of the world's rural poor, some 630 million people, derive a substantial percentage of their income from livestock. Increase the productivity of these animals...and you improve dire living standards."

The risk here is the extinction of livestock breeds that have evolved to thrive in this particular ecosystem. "The Food and Agriculture Organization...recently reported that at least 20 percent of the world's estimated 7,600 livestock breeds are in danger of extinction. Experts are warning of a potential meltdown in global genetic diversity."

This loss of genetic diversity in this context seems like a catastrophe on par with the Irish Potato Famine. The difference, of course, is that we know quite a bit more about the repercussions of our actions and proceed in a seemingly reckless fashion.

Here's a link, in case this has generated any interest.
www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/magazine/27cow-t.html

the human yawn: empathy or ennui?

Alright, so human beings are empathetic. Do we really need a study to break it down for us? Really; sure it's interesting to consider, but ultimately, is this information going to alter anyone's reality? Sometimes I wonder how much money goes into this type of study.

On an unrelated note, it seems to me that those of us with canine companions may dispute the assertion that, "humans, uniquely, are able to imagine what someone else is thinking or feeling." Then again, can I provide evidence that my dog is aware of my emotional landscape? No, but I'm not sure that our relationship bears investigation.

Introductory remarks

Apologies for showing up so late in the game in the realm of blogging. This is an exercise that I undertake with great ambivalence, though in the context of this class it seems not only practical but a fine form of engagement.

My name is Emily Hooker. I've just begun my third year here at AIMC and continue to be pleased with my rather gentle transition into the world of TCM and, in particular, integrative medicine. I'll confess that in my first year or so here at AIMC I spent no small amount of time wondering what exactly the school meant by integrative medicine curricula or integrative medicine clinic. I knew coming in that I wanted to understand how to relate TCM to our understanding of disease and health, which is pretty well steeped in western medicine. But I didn't fully grasp how AIMC intended to integrate these two forms of medicine clinically or theoretically. This has changed for me some with the recent advent of the integrative medicine series and a bit of clinical experience. I find that one rather seemingly simple, yet integral, dimension of my learning has to do with language. Yes, there's a lot that I don't know about medicine, eastern and western. But a common cold is not a different malady in Chinese medicine than we've understood it to be experientially. What's different is the way that we relate to it, treat it and talk about it.

For someone with little prior experience in either form of medicine, this integration business can be a daunting proposition. But I find that the more I know the more I want to know. So it seems fitting, if negligent, that I wound up taking this course in my third year here at AIMC. I look forward to the perspectives that Larry has to offer, and a fuller understanding of the fundamentals of biology.