6A the university daily kansan
tuesday, february 17, 2004
news
Despite new research, professors still differ on theory
By J.T. Mitchum
jmitchum@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Neanderthals and modern humans are on different branches of the family tree, according to recent research by Katerina Harvati, assistant professor of anthropology at New York University. This supports the theory that humans and Neanderthals were never related.
University of Kansas students are taught something different, depending on which professor they get.
David Frayer, professor of anthropology, found nothing significant with Harvati's work. Frayer said similarities in skull
and bone structure indicated that humans and Neanderthals were linked, not a separate species as Harvati's work proposes. While on sabbatical, Frayer is studying Neanderthals in Rome and Croatia but will be back in the fall to teach anthropology.
Harvati's skull measurements and math formulas are part of a larger argument about whether modern humans all come from one place and have adapted to the present form, or are a mix of ancient species from different regions.
Frayer pointed to a list of very specific anatomical features to make comparisons between species, such as angles of the nose, shapes of the sinus cavities and
curvatures of the back of the skull.
Not all found members agree.
M. H. Crawford, director of the laboratory of biological anthropology, said that skeletal evidence wasn't strong because of the plasticity of bones, which is a bone's ability to be reshaped by muscle and environment over time.
Crawford said that a direct geneticlink from Neandertals to modern humans was highly unlikely.
He said the sequencing in a type of DNA called mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, did not indicate a link between humans and Neanderthals.
Modern humans differ from each other by seven genes on average in the mtDNA whereas Neanderthals differ from us by 22 genes, Crawford said. Chimpanzees, our closest genetic relative, have about 44 differences in the mtDNA.
But Frayer thinks his colleagues may be missing a major point.
Crawford said the evidence from the study supported that Neanderthals were a separate species that did not contribute to our modern human form, which is what he teaches to his classes in molecular anthropology.
He said Neanderthals and modern human remains from the same area may look the same because they both had to live in the same environments.
"My opponents do not take into account human variation," Frayer said.
Natural selection, sometimes known as survival of the fittest, may account for the variations in mtDNA and bone structures between modern European humans and Neanderthals, Frayer said.
Frayer said Havarti used skull measurements to show that Neanderthals have more sloped faces than modern humans, anthropologists already knew this, he said.
Understanding whether modern humans come from a singlefamily line or multiple has many implications. The arguments for human history do not hinge on a single argument, but actually continue on several levels.
"There are also different philosophies about what constitutes evidence of new or separate species." Fraver said.
Jim Mielke, professor of anthropology, teaches introductory anthropology classes. He said he gives students all sides of the arguments and admitted that it wasn't his specialty.
Mielke and Frayer agree at least on one point—not enough data are present to know right now.
"One of the major problems is that the record is so incomplete and fragmentary and many of the most important specimens were excavated 50 plus years ago when techniques were poor." Frayer said.
President, Kerry spar about tax cuts
— Edited by Louise Stauffer
The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — President Bush, brushing aside concerns about the unprecedented budget deficit, renewed his demand that Congress extend his tax cuts, and charged yesterday that Democrats would increase taxes.
U. S. Sen. John Kerry (D Mass.), the front-running Democratic presidential candidate, said he agreed with Bush on keeping in place two tax cuts mentioned by Bush. But Kerry said Bush's overall economic policies had failed to create jobs.
"President Bush's failed economic policies have resulted in the
"President Bush's failed economic policies have resulted in the loss of 3 million jobs and the biggest surpluses in history turned into the biggest deficits."
John Kerry
John Kerry Democratic presidential candidate
loss of 3 million jobs and the biggest surpluses in history turned into the biggest deficits," Kerry said.
issue in this year's presidential campaign, with Bush trying to cast Democrats as tax-hikers and the Democrats saying Bush's tax cuts favored the rich.
The duel between Bush and Kerry foreshadowed a major
Kerry
The exchange exposed a fundamental policy difference: Bush wants all his tax cuts made permanent, while Kerry would halt tax reductions for Americans who earn more than $200,000.
The tax bills that Bush signed in 2001 and 2003 contain expiration
dates next year on some provisions. The child tax credit would drop from $1,000 per child to $700, and some married couples would have to pay more than they
would as two single individuals.
Bush
"You hear people in Washington saying, 'Oh, let's not make the tax cuts permanent.' When you hear somebody say that, they're saying 'We're gonna tax you. We're gonna raise your taxes,'" the president said.
Gay weddings, legal fights continue
SAN FRANCISCO — As hundreds of gay and lesbian couples lined up at City Hall for the historic chance to wed with the city's blessing, opponents filed legal papers yesterday arguing that only judges can declare California's prohibition on same-sex marriages to be unconstitutional.
The Associated Press
Newswos has argued that the equal protection clause of the California Constitution makes denying marriage licenses to gay couples illegal. But lawyers for a group
In a brief submitted for a court hearing Tuesday, lawyers for one of two groups seeking to block the unprecedented wedding march said Mayor Gavin Newsom was in blatant violation of state law when he directed the county clerk to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.
formed to defend Proposition 22 — a 2000 ballot initiative that says the state will recognize only marriages between a man and woman as valid — contend the mayor lacks the authority to make that decision.
"What the mayor and his cronies have attempted to do is short-circuit the legal process by being both judge and jury themselves," said Alliance Defense Fund attorney Benjamin Bull.
The city's lawyers said they will argue that the petitioners lack the legal standing to seek a temporary restraining order to prevent San Francisco authorities from issuing any more licenses.
The looming legal showdown didn't deter thousands of people from lining up outside City Hall in the rain Monday. They hoped to join more than 1,700 other
same-sex couples who have exchanged vows here in recent days. Despite miserable weather, many couples camped out overnight rather than risk going home still single.
"This is an opportunity we couldn't pass up," said David Miller of San Francisco as he and his partner, Guadalupe Jimenez, waited in a line that snaked from the county clerk's office and wound three blocks around the ornate building.
Since San Francisco officials began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples last Thursday, hundreds of gays and lesbians have wed. Most are from the Bay Area but about 50 are from other states, including New York, Georgia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, Assessor Mabel Teng said.
Many of the city workers who
helped process the licenses during the holiday weekend were volunteering their time, Teng said. The city will continue issuing marriage licenses on Tuesday "unless told otherwise by the city attorney," she said.
On Monday, a cadre of city workers deputized to perform weddings simultaneously presided over 10 ceremonies on the grand marble staircase at City Hall. Moved by the happy spectacle, caterers and donors kept the waiting couples nourished with donated pizzas, bagels, soup and coffee.
"Usually, humanity comes out like this when there is a disaster, but here we have a joyous, civil rights thing going on, and people have just rallied," the Rev. Penny Nixon said as she prepared to officiate at a friend's wedding.
PROGRAM: Extra time required
CONTINUED FROM 1A
"I just hope that I can help the freshmen learn what I have this year," Bassett said. "I really want them to be able to learn the leadership qualities and everything else that I've experienced through the 3E program so far."
But for those who don't necessarily want to be involved and would prefer to use their residence hall as a way to simply meet new people, it seems options are becoming limited, said Danny Hammond, Olathe senior. Hammond lived in Ellsworth his sophomore year and said meeting a greater variety of people would be easier if there weren't so many requirements to be in a specific dorm.
"The thing that bothers me is that everything has a theme now," Hammond said. "You've got to have your community service or your grades to live in a particular dorm, and it reflects badly on the others."
Students can still come into housing and find that same experience they had before, Crouse said. He said as buildings continued to be renovated, there would be a commitment from the department as a whole that there would always be the option of just living in a residence hall without some form of required participation.
"The thing that bothers me is that everything has a theme now. You've got to have your community service or your grades to live in a particular dorm, and it reflects badly on the others."
Danny Hammond Olathe senior
"We understand that not every student coming in needs that," he said. "What we're trying to do is provide different types of services that we know, based on research, help students learn and grow."
- Edited by Ashley Arnold
CONTINUED FROM 1A
STEM CELLS: Research opposed
States are forbidden by law to create embryonic stem cells for fear of cloning.
President Bush said in a statement last month that he was opposed to anything that used human life as "research material for reckless experiments."
U. S. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan) has led the opposition to stem cell cloning research. Last Thursday, Brownback told the Seattle Times that such research is "morally wrong."
However Li said he was concerned that the United States was falling behind other countries in medical research. "In other countries, it's easier to do this type of research. I guess opinions just depend where you are on the political spectrum," he said.
Even if it won't be made in America, Goode welcomes any potential cure after losing 70 pounds in four months and having to take four insulin shots per day as a result of his battle with diabetes.
SMOKING: Lawrence officials question effectiveness of smoking ban
CONTINUED FROM 1A
"We feel the free market should dictate whether a restaurant has a smoking ban or not. It should not be a governmental decision," said Mike Casey, vice president of marketing for the association. "We'll do everything that we can to fight along the way."
—Edited by Cindy Yeo
But Clean Air Lawrence isn't so worried. Campbell said economic changes the ban would bring about are a two sided issue.
Campbell said some people
don't go to bars and coffee shops that allow smoking now solely because of the smoke, and would be more likely to go if City Hall banned smoking indoors.
City Commissioner Sue Hack said the possible economic impact of a smoking ban in Lawrence concerned her, but the issue would be addressed in full when Mayor Mike Dunfield's Smoking Task Force reports to the commission March 31.
The task force, comprised of business owners, medical
researchers and architects, will report on the economic and health impact of indoor smoking in Lawrence.
Dealing With Change
At the Yacht Club, 530 Wisconsin St., a tall, thin machine in the corner charges customers $6 per pack for cigarettes, more than two dollars higher than most gas stations.
A deterrent for smokers? Not according to Jeff Johnson, manager at the club. But if it were up to him, the non-smoking Johnson wouldn't have the machine in the
baratall.
"I wouldn't mind a ban on smoking," Johnson said. "I don't think we can do anything about it right now, but I'd like to see a law passed."
Right now, the club has a smoking sections separated from those who don't want to smoke. If the city did ban smoking. Johnson said it wouldn't affect business one bit.
The smokers will just have to go outside." Johnson said.
Now, with most bars and restaurants in Lawrence allowing smoking, patrons who smoke
have the choice of where to go,
and what section to sit in.
"I wouldn't go to a bar I couldn't smoke in now," Erin Orr said.
"Drinking and smoking go together, if you're a smoker."
The Shawnee senior said that if she couldn't smoke, she'd rather stay home, and that applies to coffee shops and eateries the same as bars and nightclubs.
"I'd probably still go out," she said. "It would be a struggle, though."
But if the city banned smoking everywhere, Orr said she would deal with the change as best she could.
That's exactly Clean Air
Lawrence's point: if Lawrence smokers don't have a choice when they go out, they're less likely to smoke in the first place.
"I hope that it isn't inconvenient to smokers." Campbell said. "But, to me, health comes first."
Campbell understands smoking's effects on health. Last year, he watched his mother die from emphysema. He said the experience drove him to start Clean Air Lawrence to fight against public smoking.
"It's a very dangerous thing," Campbell said. "And it has to stop."
—Edited by Nikki Nugent
WEEKLY SPECIALS AT
The University of Kansas Department of Theatre and Film and The University Theatre present The KU Theatre for
Really Rosie
Book and Lyrics by Maurice
Music by Carole King ★
STUDENT SENATE
Directed by Jeanne Klem
Musical Direction by Michael P. Johnson
Choreography by Leslie Bennett
Scenic & Lighting Design by Mark Reaney
Costume Design by Anna Wiestocke
Korea Arts Cooperation
1:30 p.m. * Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004
2:30 p.m. * Sunday, Feb. 22, 2004
Crafton-Preyer Theatre
Central admission tickets are on sale in the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, 864-3982; Lied Center, 864-397S; USA Office, 864-7469; and on-line at kutheatre.com: public $10.00, all students $5.00, KU faculty and staff 9.00, senior citizens $9.00, both VISA and Mastercard are accepted for phone and on-line orders. The University theatre is partially funded by the KU Student Senate Activity Fee. This program is presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Celebrate the joy of Maurice Sendak's poetry and stories. Join us for a FREE public reading of his works featuring suppriure guests readers. Noon - 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 21, Border's Books and Muslin '7th and New Hampshire.