Not a fish ancestor, not our ancestor.
Now, the details…
Nectocaris pteryx lived during the Middle Cambrian period, approximately 508 to 505 million years ago. From presentient animals branched cephalopods and fish. Both later evolved Simple Sentience. An example of convergent evolution that might suggest sentience is one of the natural stepping stones of life.
The Cambrian and subsequent periods saw the emergence of early cephalopods, ancestors to modern octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish. These ancient cephalopods, navigating the Cambrian seas, possessed a more developed nervous system compared to many contemporaneous organisms, capable of processing information from their environment in sophisticated ways. This evolutionary development marked a significant leap towards simple sentience, with early cephalopods able to exhibit behaviors such as hunting strategies, escaping predators, and possibly even social interactions. The evolution of these early cephalopods highlights a pivotal moment in the history of life, demonstrating the beginnings of nervous system sophistication that would eventually lead to the complex forms of sentience observed in higher animals, including humans.
That 3. Field Math Story,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
By the way, the flashcard inspired by it is this.
Subject: Liberalism.
Now, the details…
17 Generations Ago
30 Phil, Chapter 23: Roger Williams and Liberalism
Roger Williams was born in England around 1602, in Smithfield, situated at the heart of London. Williams officially founded Providence Plantations in 1636 with an informal agreement with the local Native American leaders. It became the fifth American colony and the second in the New England region. In 1644, he published a series of pamphlets, the more contentious ones anonymously, leading up to penning what would become his magnum opus: “The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution,” or “Bloody Tenet.” More than a historical or religious treatise, the Bloody Tenet is a seminal work. It launched a full-throttle assault on the prevailing norms of religious and political intolerance that plagued both Old and New England. Williams passionately argued for the separation of church and state.
Pictured: No images exist of Roger Williams. This artist impression represents his fond relations with Native Americans.
That 3. Field Math Story,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
By the way, the flashcard inspired by it is this.
Subject: Fish Evolution.
~380 million years ago (± 15 million)
Air breathing lungs and lobed pectoral fins
The Senegal bichir represents an early branch of ray-finned fish, preserving traits that trace back nearly 380 million years.
Not all surviving species are recent inventions. Some lineages branch early and persist with fewer dramatic changes. The bichir reminds us that evolution produces both radical innovation and quiet endurance.
Now, the details…
The Senegal bichir represents an ancient ray-finned lineage that split from the lobe-finned line long before vertebrates moved onto land.
Polypterus Lineage: About 380 million years ago, during the Devonian Period — often called the “Age of Fishes” — the lineage leading to today’s bichirs branched off from other ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). This branch occurred early, very early, near the base of the ray-finned radiation. The Senegal bichir, Polypterus senegalus, is a modern descendant of that deep split.
Pictured: The Senegal bichir still breathes air. It possesses paired lungs in addition to gills and can survive in low-oxygen waters by gulping at the surface. Its thick, diamond-shaped ganoid scales resemble armor more than fish scales. Along its back runs a series of small dorsal finlets — each with its own spine — a feature that looks almost prehistoric because it is.
That 3. Field Math Story,
was first published on TST 1 month ago.
By the way, the flashcard inspired by it is this.
Front: What scientific term partially represents the informal term “living fossil”?
Back: Morphologically conservative lineage (related concepts: evolutionary stasis; relict lineage)
