Comments on: Why Don’t Camels Have Diabetes or High Blood Pressure?

By: Soner

Soner — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 18:34:27 +0000

Wow…merely suggesting evolution didn’t play a role is obviously violating some unwritten code here.

By: geack

geack — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:07:03 +0000

@3. John,
That statement is just saying that these adaptations occurred rapidly compared to the huge number of other evolutionary adaptations that have been studied. How do you account for all the other data the camel are being compared against? Obviously, the capability was inherent in the camels. The question is, how did the camels get it, and why do they differ from other animals in these specific ways? For some reason I doubt you’re actually interested in the answers – you seem to believe you have an answer already.

By: chiangraiken

chiangraiken — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 05:47:45 +0000

Methinks much of the drive for such research is to find ways to enable couch potato and fast-foodist humans to avoid high blood pressure and diabetes. Perhaps some newfangled pills will come of this research. That might be good, but two of the best ways to stay healthy are ‘eat right’ and ‘get plenty of exercise.’ It doesn’t hurt to keep the mind limber, also. Pills are a crutch.

By: Stephen Daugherty

Stephen Daugherty — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 23:30:49 +0000

John, you assume a system with next to no history. Unfortunately for you, that’s a viewpoint that has very little explanatory power, and so evolution will continue to work better for most.

My feeling on current dietary issues is this: for much of human history, most people got regular exercise, ate animals whose meat was lean, and ate fresh fruits and vegetables. Only relatively recent advances like agriculture, food processing, and the modern sedentary lifestyle has put the weakness of our genetic code to the test.

If we were to continue this behavior for thousands of years to come, we would become better adapted to sitting on our butts eating junk food.

By: John Heininger

John Heininger — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 03:36:19 +0000

“According to their results, many of the camels’ genetic adaptations have occurred rapidly, as far as evolutionary adaptations go.” Looks to me like the the capability to rapidly adapt was already an inherent within the camel genetics capabilities, as is the case with most forms of life, rather than acquired by evolution.

By: Peter Jensen

Peter Jensen — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:20:58 +0000

Obesity, insulin resistance, adaptation to salt consumption probably had survival advantages in humans particularly before the days of grocery stores and readily available food and water. Genes for diabetes, insulin resistance, and hypertension had to have survival advantages likely similar to the advantages in bactrian camels as these genes are so prevalent in human populations.

By: naveed tajammal

naveed tajammal — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:56:00 +0000

The two humped,known as Bactarian,the old north of geographic entity of Khurassan,has its origin in our seven ridges of sulaiman ranges,revert it back,in it old abode,it will flourish better.