So if they'd split X100,000 years ago, we would have expected the 100,000 year old Neandertal DNA to be more similar to humans, than later Neandertal DNA, because 100,000 was closer to the split (to the common ancestor)?

Right.

All y'all really, really need to stop with the cavemen vs. astronauts business. Are you trying to hurt me? I just caught up in one long gulp and it's too much -- by the time I got to Cavemen Vs McGyver the laughter was causing me physical pain, and then there were LIKE 80 MORE POSTS. If I suddenly and unexpectedly end up with an Augustini instead of a Halloweenie, I am totally blaming the cavemen. Or possibly the astronauts.

Or maybe Nutty and the cheetah. I want to leave my blame options open.

In Non-PR news: puppy!

Ok, that's freaking me out a bit. WTF is going on with the ears? I had no idea their ears weren't normally all sticky-uppy. Why the hell do they do that?

I don't know -- I don't know that history of Great Danes.

My understanding is that they originally cropped ears (& docked tails) on breeds bred for hunting because those were the bits that were likely to get shredded by the teeth of another animal.

Now people do it because they're jerks.

haircut tonight! WHOOT!

Yup, that's what my googling has concluded.

If you are not intending to show your dane I would not bother to have the ears cropped. It is very painful, they need constant change of dressing and professional application of splints and bandages for several months to make them stand erect.

Banned in the UK and most of Europe.

My dog's half Rott so it's kind of a sensitive subject for me. I can't imagine putting an animal through useless, painful cosmetic surgery (and destroying those beautiful ears and that powerful tail) for - what? Vanity? It makes me ill.

I was googling to read up on whether the UK had banned Doberman docking, and got sucked into a wonderfully warm description of the breed which then went on to say that it's not a breed you can leave in your back yard.

I'm not sure what the back yard downside is, since ours was great. As seemed the pack across the street from us, although they were appallingly bad guard dogs--I think the family came home to find their place being robbed and the dogs frolicking on the lawn.

Timelies all!

Wow, a lot has gone on among the Buffistas in the time I was away.

Portland was great, and I wish I could have spent more time there. Although, considering how much I spent at Powell's, it's probably for the best that I came home when I did. It was nice meeting you, Cass. Sorry you had a migraine and couldn't do dinner with us.

RageGirl is home and took a nice long hot shower, which has cranked her down to irked.

Chicken cooking.