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Gary Williams: Darwin in Southern South America

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Cal Academy: The Magic of Science

California Academy of Sciences

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Darwin Discovers Giant Armadillos and Ground Sloths

04 min 07 sec

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California Academy of Sciences curator Gary Williams reports on Darwin's discovery of the giant ground sloth (Mylodon Darwinii) giant armadillos (Glyptodont), and the profound influence of South America on Darwin's theories.
Camels in Las Vegas: Darwin Studies Migration in Americas

03 min 14 sec

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California Academy of Sciences curator Gary Williams discusses Darwin's findings on the migration of species from North and South America. Interestingly, the camel migrated from what is now Las Vegas down to South America, where it was eventually domesticated into the llama and alpaca.
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42 min 04 sec

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Previous FORAtv comments:

ajstavely711

Posted: 04.23.10, 01:14 PM

Unfortunately skin color during the Victorian Era was so misunderstood...I think if Darwin was alive today he would see the error of his ways and would be embarrassed. Darwin was a gentle soul according to what others wrote about him at the time. Ben Franklin wrote a letter complaining about all the German immigrants that read much like a Republican memo about immigration today...He even made reference to their skin color! "Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs, any more than they can acquire our Complexion." ...That sounds like Newt Gingrich, Eric Cantor or any GOP leader today! I find it quite funny that America the nation of immigrants has always had those who hate immigrants! There were big cats and Rhinos in North America as well as other "exotic" animals. It is still a mystery why they all died off.

savageb

Posted: 02.26.09, 04:40 PM

This is amazing. I've never even heard of a ground sloth or of camels living in North America. It is interesting that South America had such a profound impact on Darwin's theories. Too bad he was raging racist or a victim of the Victorian times as Williams puts it.