"The Giant Tortoise's Tale" by Richard Dawkins

[ender003]

It's a shame something like fifty thousand people now live on those islands, destroying the natural balance of things.

[OrthodoxDarwinist]

ANAPSID! NO TEMPORAL OR MANDIBULAR FENESTRAE!!

They can retract their hesds back by a ventral S-bend of the neck, so it is a CRYPTODIRA, so the pelvis will not be fused to the carapace or plastron! Also note fusion of the 2 halves of mandible; small brain-case; 'horny' (keratinized protein) plates which function as teeth; emargination from posterior edge of outer skull vault, plates of carapace fused with ribs in rigid protective structure, etc.

Evolution baby!!!!

[hyams1]

beautiful and elegant as always sir richard...but plz put away those sexy legs..lol.;)

[athrough0]

I wish I could see what those saddle tortoises will look like in a million years. If humans (or some other phenomenon) don't mess it up, there will be tortoises two stories high eating from massive cacti.

[sadrequiem]

how can someone ever see something like this an deny evolution? this is beautiful and also beautifuly explained.

[akrulla]

Peace, Love and Science... :)

[TharosTheDragon]

At the end Dawkins' neck kind of reminded me of the tortoises that were just being shown.

[tibyv8]

Thank you Mr. Dawkins.

[aguteempasil]

Incredibly informative. Dawkins is a master at tickling the curiosity gland.

[RockSmithStudio]

That is the perfect explanation for Dawkins!

[s0cialexperiment]

Whatever the truth, no matter how much knowledge we attain, humans still tend to cast blame on others for what they think or believe. Our nature hasn't progressed any more than a caveman. Let's get along and have a discussion of views!

[gigaboy47]

You know einstein didn't believe in evolution.

[AnonymousCthulhu]

Where's your proof?

[gigaboy47]

wikipedia

[scottevanmacfar]

Nothing in wiki or anywhere else I've looked gives any evidence that einstein didn't believe in evolution.

[XXIstCenturyBoy]

So?

[gigaboy47]

I'm just saying. I least you believe me some humanist don't.

[XXIstCenturyBoy]

I don't "believe" you, I'm saying that it wouldn't change a thing, even if true. I'm sure that Darwin opinion about physics is as irrelevant as Einstein on abiogenesis.

The origin of life has little to do with the origin of the universe.

[gigaboy47]

Well if that is your opinion however let me tell you this what Darwin thought about evolution and what modern scientist think about evolution is completly different

[XXIstCenturyBoy]

No shit, tell me something I don't know...

Einstein's (seeing as you know him so much) views on time and space is also quite different than what we think today.

Science is SUPPOSED to change over time. If it didn't, it wouldn't be science. Saying shit like that just reinforce the rationals' belief in Science, not the other way around.

[gigaboy47]

yes I know science but I was saying that Darwin only belief in one kind of evolution

[XXIstCenturyBoy]

Interesting argument... So what are you saying then? Darwin was wrong? Better than Atheists? That it makes him or us liars? I don't get it. Why would you say something like that?

[gigaboy47]

No that is not what I'm saying at all. No one said you was wrong. Idiot!

[XXIstCenturyBoy]

Yep... an idiot... thats me! Just look at this thread, I am clearly it.

Thank you gigaboy47, you have shown me the path (to godlessness, I don't wan't to become "clever" as you by believing)

[duskwalker2]

@XXIstCenturyBoy unless you want to talk about the universe having to come into being with certain physical constants to allow the formation and sustenance of life.

[XXIstCenturyBoy]

Why would I talk about this? I was replying with someone who is trying to tell us that Einstein's opinion as a scientists means that other opinions aren't valid because Einstein was sooooo clever.

(Also, the universe didn't come up with certain "constant", life came up with ways to exists within constants not made for it.)

[noah003able]

he worships creation

[ComeOut2StandOut]

This really is amazing stuff. The evolutionary data that they find in islands is beautiful stuff. How bigger mammals tend to decrease in size and smaller ones increase in size is a very interesting process and love readin/watcing info on this stuff.

[Screatus]

i would love to sail those islands,,,that footage looks soo amazing...you look at that and KNOW that only GOD could have created such beauty!...

HAHA,,,jk...fuck the bullshit of the god tales and all the stories that go with it ....whata fuckin joke...no but serious,,,beautiful footage

ps ~religion is holding us back as a species,,an alien race would laugh at us and those beliefs!

[Dhannyewllmetal]

I would like the evolution didn't be a religion. I would like that the ones that call themselves scientists went just what call themselves, scientists. When somebody wich calls himself scientist leaves her laboratory and he enters in a field that doesn't belong her, he takes a great risk of committing serious mistakes. It would like that it was not the case of Mr. Richard, but it is.

[theepumpkinking]

Even without all the errors and mid-sentence sex-changes, I dont know wtf this guys talking about

[stanvandermerwe]

Well said, yet anoyher tale. This looks like a tortoise. Just like my dog looks like a dog. Typical of these evolutionists. Expects us to believe all the fairy tales. Make up stories as they go. The public has to believe them because they are qualified to make up stories.

[Joshewah777]

stanvandermerwe, I guess it makes more sense that a cosmic space wizard waggled his finger and poofed everything from out of nowhere. I guess talking bushes and snakes, incest boats, global floods, resurrections, and virgin births makes sense....

You people are disgusting. Poisoning the wealth of knowledge so future generation can be as ignorant and blissfully stupid as you.

[gottspieler]

it's funny how all of the evolution videos on youtube turn into religious debate...lolz..simpletons

[thebbeenn]

I am a theist and I approve this video. ;P

No seriously this entire creationist nonsense is getting frustrating for a believer as well. These people are sheep. They hate science because the feel it deminishes God, whereas I feel that the more science reveals about the world and the universe, the great he/she/it seems to become.

I greatly respect atheists because they possess a clarity and skepticism that is greatly needed in these times of fear and in many cases, blind superstision.

[madskillz1o1]

That's great! :) But what do you mean with "the more science reveals about the world and the universe, the great he/she/it seems to become" ? The knowledge we have now actually makes god look really small. If anything, god only sparked the big bang, and then everything else formed itself. I don't believe in any god by the way.

[thebbeenn]

To explain my faith in God, is really hard. Only way I can explain it is that it's a feeling. Dawkins and Father George Coyne had this great discussion, and though I don't adhere to any organized religion I like Coynes answer that God is something outside of this world, and therefore by no means should we deny scientific facts, just because they contradict scripture that was written way before the scientific method was founded. I don't see God as a designer, more of a guide.

[thebbeenn]

Maybe God willed this place into existence and if that is so, I guess it's up to us to live in it and make the best of it. Maybe I'm not a believer in God, so much as a speculator on God. I'm not convinced there is NO god, so I can't call myself an atheist. I am however convinced that none of the organized religions so far has gotten it right by a longshot.

[newfagscanttrif0rce]

Please take your god delusion elsewhere.

[thebbeenn]

This is an open forum, and if you can't stand opinions that differ from your own, choose another one way communication medium, like a book or something.

[newfagscanttrif0rce]

No, your belief in god/s is not an opinion but a delusion. Please leave science to those of us who embrace it and instead you can join your superstitious friends in your temple.

[EvansRowan123]

A delusion is an opinion. In fact, it's more than an opinion - an opinion is what you think, while a delusion is what you know. (when what you know is wrong).

Besides, without christians (and religinos in general) to bash, atheism isn't as fun :)

[ManDudeYeah]

True. It is very frustrating for rational people to live in a world of religious people who's goal is to be detrimental to all progress (especially science)

[TonsofFun777]

@ManDudeYeah Have you heard the good news?

[ManDudeYeah]

@TonsofFun777 What good news?

[AlanKey86]

Fantastic video. 5/5

Possibly the first video from Dawkins I've seen that hasn't included any "religion bashing". I think it's a shame that Dawkins seems to be most readily associated with "angry atheist" rather than "brilliant biologist".

[invisibletime]

"angry atheist"???????????????

[monkeybike]

I dont think Atheists are "angry", but rather frustrated that some people cant understand or dont want to understand that Evolution is a proven theory.

[WeAreTheRobots]

Yeah, but there is a kind of "public perception of atheists as such. Sometimes by religious people which can't stand even the minimal kind of criticism, and sometimes because the picture that media tries to push of them. Even I as an atheist sometimes get that flavor after an "atheist afternoon of videos". XD

[timmy47]

proven event you mean. theories are never 100% in science. the theory is a model of how evolution works and is open to change with new evidence. that doesnt make it wrong either however. for example, newtons original theory of gravity had a flaw in the math. a hundred years later or so they fixed it. but it didnt make gravity any less real.

[SatansMullet]

@monkeybike i totally 100% without a DOUBT believe in Evolution. there is NO debating it by a person with eyes to see. but i ALSO believe in God. but not the God of the Christian Bible. so where do i fit in? Im not an Atheist so what am i then?

[clarissa1133]

@SatansMullet  agnostic you are agnostic

[Cootabux]

@SatansMullet

You're a Deist! And you're in good company! If god exists, why would it come here and choose a bunch of dessert nomads to call his very own? And why would the creator of everything, be so abhorrently evil, as the OT god was?

Lets be glad it's fiction!

I can see the possibility of a creative force being behind our existence. Of course, I can't subscribe to this theory until I see some evidence, besides the fact that we exist. That's the game that shortsighted Xians play.

[mmmmmarcus]

@monkeybike BUT ITZ JUSD A THEORIE!!!!!!1 Joking aside, you are totally right.

Atheists are FAR more forgiving than most theists!

[TrifleMcFruity]

@mmmmmarcus That drives me mad - why can't people just learn what the word 'theory' actually means in this context and give up the damned "argument"!

[MrPizzapoika]

@monkeybike wait...Proven theory?

[JakeWasOnline]

@MrPizzapoika lol ! I think he meant proven fact.

[Cromaxus]

@monkeybike so...your purposefully retarding yourself...to each his own I guess. Frustrated Atheist? Frustrated that some people impose their beliefs on us? That does sound frustrating. But what I think you are calling 'frustration' is really misplaced. I don't know an Atheist that wouldn't love to enlighten a fellow human being to their full potential of curiosity, love and science.

[lunaehmaz]

Very nicely done segment. Very informative.

[DisembowelMe]

Informative. Props to Dawkins.

[MilfHuntah]

makes sense

[PopularAtheist]

That's fascinating on how's there's a connecting between plants and animals...tortoise's and cacti. How cool is evolution!  I love it!

[ripgoku]

considering that every species has to sacrifice ITSELF so that a new and improved version of the of that species EVOLVES by ridding of not so useful genes !!!

[powerdriller10]

asat1:

Great observation of yours !

Genes survive because they are reconfigurable as needed. Fin genes for fish are the same as genes for arms and legs for mammals, just tweaked a little.

[masterstghm]

nice shirt

[shazta88]

turtles are awsome

[mikebe41]

and good eating too! :)

[alSation81]

my understanding was that species developing on an island were prone to dwarfism ... the dwarf elephant remains found on Crete, for example.

[BaileysBeads]

Yeah I thought that as well. Dwarf version of dinosaurs have been found on islands as well.

And it only makes sense, if there are no natural predators, you want to decrease your size so you become more efficient on food.

[cxian]

this is also can be compared to the type of religion by area... if you're born in india, there'll be a high chance that you'll be a muslim while you're born in spain, you'll be catholic. This can be asserted that religion has no basic ground why believing the doctrine that so only because they are told so starting from their ancestors pass generation to generation without asking the question why will i believe on such.

[NegativeNick]

Dawkin's legs are so white and thin, omg that's hot jk

[TheFartoholic]

lol yeah.

[Politicimo]

This was beautiful.

[bbbbbb222222]

what about pokemons? how it is that they evolve individually and not all of them at the same time?

[lefthandedsnake]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but someone has observed evolution. Though I forgot the references, you can try to google it yourself. They made a new species out of the housefly by making them change their preferences in light. the new species is, unlike its origin, blind.

[dadood20007]

For your information, to say something like "your ridiculous theory" proves you are as ignorant as you appear to be. The use of the word 'theory' is not as it is within the everyday language, meaning possibility with room for ambiguity. It is an accepted scientific fact. ie: "the 'theory' of relativity" is a universally accepted process not a possible explanation, the word theory is not meant in the same way. The same applies to Darwin's 'theory' of evolution...

[NegativeNick]

I disagree, a scientific theory is merely a perspective on how or why something happens or happened. its a way of examining or thinking about a problem or situation. in science there really is no fact, there are laws which hold generally true but even they cannot be absolute. theories can only become accepted no better theory coming along in their stead. So while Darwin's is a very good theory, it in no way is absolute or empirical, but that doesn't mean its not the best thing we have.

[Liv150]

Viruses are a example of observed evolution. One day a strain is vulnerable to a remedy of some sort, natural selection occurs by virtue of the remedy and we get a new strain of virus that is now immune to that particular remedy. Now this is simplified and I am no expert, but it is the case none-the-less.

[BIGGERLebowski]

i just watched something about the galapagos islands on tv. it had birds that dive into water to gain a competetive advantage of food over other birds. these birds had wings, but they were so small they couldnt fly. why would birds have wings but they be so small they couldnt use them to fly? the answer is obvious, but how are you going to dodge it?

[htrizzle]

The Fence Lizard has been studied for the past 40 years and it has been evolving. Read about The Fence Lizard , natural selection and their fire ant evolving defense. And the word theory in the scientific world is different from regular use. I advice that when comment about a topic , have some info on what your about to say...

[ddrumsman549]

They have observed evolution in bacteria and in the fossil record. And everywhere else on the earth. Do you think observe only means watch with you eyes glued to your particular subject until it spontaneously change? A theory is one of the highest terms in science that a hypothesis can get. It has to be proven and then published. Then the experiment is repeated thousands of times all getting the same results.

[CR0SSCARRIER1987]

way to go captain obvious. (RD) you sound like a Pokemon trainer. "evolve squirtle evolve into wartortle" lol failure.

[Sexymike86]

FTW!

[monkeymox]

If you think the theory of evolution is remotely analogous to Pokemon, you are an idiot. For the sake of your own intellect, I hope you were being facetious.

[edwinkilate]

y alla esta dawkins observando investigando y consiguiendo evidencias contundentes. y los creacionistas donde estan? de seguro leyendo un libro fantacioso o mirando el cielo esperando la llegada de jevus para que los lave OTRA VEZ DE SUS PECADOS.

[commandingheights]

that tortoise that fell in the water and floated to Galapagos - what a maverick.

[jaqafle]

yeah and he did found female tortoise becouse she floated to the same beach.

i cant stop laughing

[Uriel9]

You, sir, have an IQ below average. Now live your life to the full with this new knowledge. Laugh at farts, make as much noise as possible when you eat and always say: "uuuhh..." before you say anything. Thanks.

[prowled]

indeed, if "he did found female tortoise becouse she floated to the same beach" is the context he derived from this segment, i would also question the persons intelligence.

truely there are some people, whom which the grandness of biology is wasted on.

[dudegutarman12]

Or maybe he mated with a tortoise that was already on the island. Maybe the people put multiple tortoises on the island, or maybe The tortoise was already pregnant. Who's intelligence are we questioning now?

[prowled]

well... then you have to introduce evidence for your claims. there is a fossil and genetic record which suport the galapogos speciation. what do you have?

[AsG1989]

dawkins looked a tad rough lol! oh well still genius

[woozlbug]

I used to have eastern box turtles as pets when I was little. I was concerned when they would not eat so I read up on it. I learned that box turtles often will refuse to eat when in captivity and that they can survive up to a year without food. It was close to a year before they felt comfortable enough to start eating.

[kjb86]

These turtles facial features resemble my grandfathers.

[BIGGERLebowski]

ahahaha

[adamthebaddun]

Excellent video :-)

[bdf2718]

Gawd did it! Gawd made all those different tortoises just to amuse and entertain us! Praise Jeebus!

[MadisonSkeet]

why is being naked funny?

[michel380]

aaaaaaaaa

[rebeldog11]

Isn't it a bit idealistic to just put down the 'discovery' of evolution and 'selection' to a great mind? We wouldn't have evolution and selection if Darwin had not existed? Dawkins has far too much praise for the individual instead of the collective human achievement of scientific breakthrough.

[chrispollock]

he isn't saying Darwin was the lynchpin. he's saying Darwin was the one who finally published the definitive work that changed the way people view life

[kevin82485]

Great Stuff

[look2leap4]

Science is beauty explained.

[chrispollock]

not when i see one animal get chased down and killed by another. but a sunset, maybe

[look2leap4]

Your being here is directly attributed to such instances. So, I consider that to be beautiful as well. If you see what that sort of behavior eventually leads to (evolution) you too will find beauty in it.

[neil1337]

So, if settlers never settled on america, and took slaves from africa, humans would continue to diverge into different species. Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans would become 3 different species.

[papasitoman]

I guess all of Persia, the Arab countries and all of Asia don't count in your analogy... great statement brainiac.

[popecorkyxxiv]

Technically pure Europeans, Aboriginal Americans, Africans, Asianics, and Meso Americans, are seperate species. That's why a European looks different from African, or Asianics. Although we are still similar enough to interbreed. Learn about Evolutionary Biology BEFORE you condemn it in favor of Intelligent Design which has nothing to learn, just believe.

[neil1337]

Uhm fool? I'm not against evolution and I'm not for ID. They are NOT separate species, because they can all reproduce. I never said that asia didn't count, I was providing examples. I said that they WOULD become separate species if more time went by.

Hate being misunderstood. Where do you get the idea I'm arguing from design in my comment, fools? ID is a stupid idea.

[popecorkyxxiv]

My apologize, I thought you were asking the question as an attack against evolution. But I do reiterate that the different races of human are infact seperate species of Human. IE. A tiger and a lion are different species, but they are both still of the 'panthera' genus and can thusly interbreed. The differing races of Humanity, although we are different species are capable of interbreeding due to the fact we are all of the same genus (homosapien). Coydogs and ligers and guineafowl, OH MY!

[jdbvids]

When you say race, what do you mean? I ask because "race" it vernacular for "ethnicity", which is no indicator of speciation. Every human alive today isn't just a member of the same species, but the same subspecies, too. We are all Homo sapiens sapiens.

[popecorkyxxiv]

Race i sultimately an irrelivant word. It simply means species, but do to human ego we don't want to label oursleves on the same level as animal species. We are all the same sub-species (Homo Sapien), but varying species/races (caucasoid, mongoloid, negroid, etc) there are many half breed races and varios interminglings of genes, due to this we are beginning to rude total species number. Eventually there will be one human race, probably beige in color, and very diverse in dialect.

[jdbvids]

Support?

[neil1337]

No problem, popecorky. So jdbvids, separate races are indeed examples of evolution, for instance black people don't get sunburns as much as white people who live farther from the equator and don't need it. If separated for a long enough time, like any organism, they would become a separate species over time. Racial differences are a fact of life, and don't mean that one race is better than another, but they are distinguishable from eachother, and have differences.

[jdbvids]

Obviously "races" are examples of evolution, but _not_ of speciation; popecorky stated that "race" is synonymous with "species". On reflection, I think he may have meant "subdivision" when he used the word "species". The term has much stricter meaning in biology.

popecorky's idea that race will ultimately be _eliminated_ is naive for social reasons, denies the environmental conditions that promote racial variations in the first place, and assumes no new "races" could arise in humanity's future.

[JETZcorp]

I don't feel the idea is so naive. After all, when the races developed there was very little intermingling between the isolated groups. However, modern cultures now have the means to go absolutely anywhere on a whim, and racial lines are becoming blurred. That said, there will probably always be isolated groups of some kind.

Note: If YouTube puts this comment at the top like it always seems to, note that I was replying to jdbvids' comment.

[winston5610]

Here we again come again to the assertion that there is such a thing as a "pure" European or Ainu or MesoAmerican "race", but genetic studies of the Y-chromosome, and mitochondrial DNA as well as cultural and linguistic studies show that interbreeding among neighboring populations has rendered the concept of "racial purity" inoperative. It seems that upon first contact between two populations the visitors drop their jeans and drop their genes, and there is no population isolated from this fact.

[bajorjor1]

lol on the jean/genes analogy

[winston5610]

To continue my thought, I was taught that the definition of "species" is "a potentially interbreeding population or group of populations". There are no anatomical inconveniences precluding mating between, for example, Inuit and Maori, and the evidence is that there have been poeple capable of traveling from Greenland to New Zealand at least since the end of the Ice Age, the offspring would be viable and fertile. I argue that the human species is one race. Skin color is superficial.

[xxmonickkkkaxx]

Actually they are not a different species but a different race.

[dechha1981]

yes.

[arielwollinger]

dawkins, you rule! you should come to brazil someday. There is an evolution vs ID vs pure creationism conference happening in a couple of weeks here at an university in Sao Paulo and you would simply rock! Kudos to you!

[JamesFLC]

"We seem to be brought somewhat closer to that great "fact" that "mystery of mysteries" the first appearance of new beings on this earth."

Classic! I love it!!!

[leighsm]

and they lived happily everafter until they were ruthlessly brought to extinction by us. we are scum

[miseriaykretek]

Fluid, eloquent and masterful.

Very enlightening.

[McLarenF1God]

More clarity that evolution is awesome and true.

[kev3d]

Wonderful and Fascinating. Another million points for science.

[johnclavis]

Dawkins is the man.

Thanks for posting this!

[curvand]

Read the God delusion... thats a great book. Thanks to Mr. Dawkins.

[xgalba00]

Richard Dawkins is masterful zoologist. His detailed description makes sense.

[icebeer5]

i love turtle soup

[Chantzehao]

Awesome stuff.

[KrisRamJ]

Bloody fantastic. The BBC really should commission something with Richard. There's so little decent science on TV at the moment. Given the right handling this could be as influential as 'Cosmos' or 'Life on Earth'.

[ndjarnag]

awesome!

[blakka91]

wow

[chanjl41]

Why do I have this sudden urge to touch a tortoise (and probably a finch too)? Oh, if only I had enough money to go the Galapagos.

[ctastrophe]

Giant Tortoises have little tails.

[livepandaman]

intresing

[kintarocrab]

lovely

[RhondaH]

Fantastic! Narration by RD was wonderful.

[RodHullIAmHim]

Right, i'm off to bed thinking about tortoise's floating across the sea... :D

[GBart]

first post.

I love these. Actually seeing the animals he's talking about adds so much.