fandomhigh | Introduction to Anthropology

Introduction to Anthropology

"Good morning. I'm expecting projects in from Samuel Anders, Chihaya, Harry Potter and Willow Rosenberg in, so if you could leave those in the tray on my desk please.

Continuing on with our lessons on popluation genetics, today we're looking at genetic drift.

Genetic drift is the constant tendency of genes to evolve even in the absence of selective forces. Genetic drift is fueled by spontaneous neutral mutations that disappear or become fixed in a population at random. Inbred lines separated from a common ancestral pair can drift rapidly apart from each other.

The survival and reproductions of organisms is subject to unpredictable accidents. It doesn't matter how good your genes are if you get killed before producing offspring.

An ant gets stepped on.
A rabbit gets swept up by a tornado.
An elephant drinks up a protozoa living in a puddle.
A plane crashes killing a Nobel Laureate.

None of the above events has anything to do with the dead organism's genotype or phenotype - these events occurred purely by chance.

"Your homework tonight is to do the five questions on this Driftworms simulation, which I want in on Friday. You can read about the simulation here

Any questions?"

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Daniel looked across and smiled at her. "Hey, Sam," he said, moving the projects to his bag. "It's not a problem," his eyes twinkled. "Although normally I like to know in advance."

"Cairo was good. I'll be talking a bit more about the dig in Egyptian Archaeology later if you're that interested," he laughed and winked at her.

Sam flushed and handed him the coffee, eyes downcast. "Yeah, well...you know how it is...and you're the only one of us with an apartment, so you got elected."

"No," she laughed, "I really don't think that's necessary. The same way you really don't want to hear about my quantum physics/math/wormhole independent study. It's enough for me that you're home, safe and happy." She frowned. When did this place become home?

"It's fine," Daniel said, taking the coffee and smelling it appreciatively. "If I'd have been thinking, and wasn't such an idiot, I'd have been there with you all."

He grinned. "You're right. I really don't want to hear about that," he said. "But if you wanted to tell me about it, I'm sure I could do a good job of appearing to listen!"

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything..." She grinned back. Watching Daniel with a new cup of coffee was always entertaining.

"No, that's okay," she replied, giggling, "one of the good things about this 'thing' is that we don't have to do that anymore."

"Although if we really wanted to torture ourselves, I guess we could tie Jack to a chair and make him listen to both of us."

~~Wow, that came out much dirtier than it sounded in my head.~~

Daniel had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "Yes, well," he coughed, taking a sip of his coffee.

He grinned. "That's good. I'm sure we can find many other things to talk about which we both have an interest in," he said.

He just laughed. "You want to tie Jack to a chair?"

"No, I do not," Sam squealed, reaching over to swat Daniel. "Daniel! I can't believe you asked that!"

She sipped at her coffee, perching herself on his desk and swinging her feet. "Did you hear about the talking toaster? It's propositioning people in the second floor dorm hallway. Oh, and I moved--same phone number though, so I won't have to reprogram your speed dial."

Daniel snickered into his coffee. "You brought it up," he said.

He blinked. "A talking toaster? Propositioning people? And I thought I'd heard everything..."

"When did you move? And to where? Not that I ever visited you in your last place, but, y'know..."

"Oh, shut up," she muttered. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe it. Proposed to me and everything. I had to turn it down. The Air Force tends to frown on that kind of thing."

"I'm right down the hall from Janet, Liz, Jack, and those guys now. Room 231. Saves me climbing all those extra stairs," she grinned.

Daniel just looked at her incredulously. "You got proposed to by a toaster? A little metal thing? Used to make toast? ~~I'm sure Jack would frown on it too~~."

"Uh wow. Congratulations," he said, privately worrying for the rest of the floor.

"I don't actually know if it can be used to make toast," Sam smirked. "Huh. Goes to show you that there was no basis for a long-term relationship. We didn't know anything about each other."

"Thanks," she said, brightly. "I'm looking forward to it."

Daniel almost choked on his coffee. "Well, there you have it then," he said.

"Are you, eh, going to have a warm rooming party or anything?" he asked, curiously. "It's all been quiet party-wise from you lot recently it seems."

"I'm not sure," Sam said, taking another sip of coffee, then another as she realized it was cooling quickly. "With everyone having been so sick, we've been quiet lately--I mean, first Jack, then Janet, then Kawalsky and Liz, and no one for less than a week."

She considered. "Maybe this weekend, or the next."

"You've managed to escape it all though?" Daniel checked. "Damn RL-itis, eh?"

He finished off his coffee. "I'll have to try and make one. From all accounts and the like, they sound pretty wild."

"So far, so good," she smiled. "Considering I spent a month in the infirmary, not to mention being around Jack before then, I'm pretty lucky."

"They're a little nutty--there's a lot of alcohol, and we get very giddy and adolescent. Lord, the conversation Janet and I had at the last one..." She blushed, and said under her breath, "Not to mention waking up next to Jack in a shirt and my underwear, having no idea what happened. I haven't done that since college."

"Yeah, you are," he agreed. "I've not done too bad myself thankfully... just wait, now I'm going to end up with - ah, I don't know what." He grinned at her.

Daniel laughed. "Sounds like I'd end up passed out in the corner after five minutes," he said.

"Well, now you've done it," she grinned back. "At least they've got good coffee there, as long as you don't have an ulcer. It's how I bribed Doctor Wilson while Jack was recovering."

She made a face. "Well, maybe you wouldn't have to drink as much."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I probably have done," he said, laughing. "But coffee is good."

He snickered. "I wouldn't need to drink as much, and I'd still end up passed out in the corner; you know that."

"Amen to that," Sam said, finishing off her coffee and tossing the cup in the garbage, then smirking at him. "At least you know you'll have good medical care."

"True, but we can't drink as much as we think we can either. Lower body weights and tolerances. Comes with being young."

Daniel blushed slightly. "I can think of many other things I'd rather have Janet do to me," he said, not realizing how bad that sounded.

He sighed. "I'm sure you all still beat me hands down though."

Sam started laughing so hard she almost fell off the desk. "I bet," she snorted, when her laughter had tapered off to chuckles.

"We might, but it's not a competition. Who cares if we can drink more? It's not like you're going to be driving home."

Daniel thought back, and flushed bright scarlett. "Oh God," he muttered.

"No, I won't be," he grinned. "As soon as I get there I'll be claiming my corner to pass out in."

Sam laughed again, enjoying Daniel's discomfort for the moment.

"It's good to have these things picked out ahead of time. Saves on the confusion." She winked. "They've got extra beds in there, though, so it's possible you wouldn't need to sleep in a corner."

Daniel just blushed even brighter red if that was at all possible.

"Even if I tried to reserve a bed, I'm sure I'd still end up in the corner," he said, nodding wisely.

"Oh, yeah, I could see that happening," she grinned. "Yep. You in the corner, Janet in her bed, staring at you mournfully. Not in a million years."

Daniel just blushed again. "It might," he mumbled.

Sam raised her eyebrow at him. "Indeed." Teal'c would be proud that she carried it off so well.

Daniel mumbled something which might have sounded like "Bite me."

Sam stuck her tongue out at Daniel and hopped off the desk. "I've got to go. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for the coffee, Sam. It's always appreciated."

"No problem. Have fun talking about your dig." She waved and walked out.

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Introduction to Anthropology

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