Why do human have appendices?

[Mark Swindell]

I recently read that there may be a value to the appendix... it may be a breeding place for helpful bacteria to repopulate the gut after it's been decimated of its normal stock. Here's a link.

http://www.livescience.com/health/090824-appendix-evolution.html

Mark

On Apr 21, 2010, at 6:04 AM, Petrides, M.D. Marian wrote:

> The appendix is a vestigial organ, just like the coccyx is humankind's vestigial tail.
> 
> On Apr 21, 2010, at 3:16 AM, Richmond Mathewson wrote:
> 
>> Well there are a number of theories there.
>> 
>> Evolutionary theory suggests that humans have evolved from herbivores
>> that needed appendices to house lots of gut flora to help digest cellulose.
>> 
>> Why do we still have appendices?  Well, just possibly they might be there
>> as a sort of stop-gap in the unlikely eventuality of having to go on an
>> all-grass diet for a spot.
>> 
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> Why has RunRev removed various capabilities that were there in earlier
>> recensions of their software?
>> 
>> *** Standalone building capabilities for, supposedly, deprecated
>>        operating systems:
>> 
>>       Mac Classic
>>       UNIX
>> 
>>       many others
>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> As one updates / upgrades software / one's house / one's computer / etc.
>> it is generally the done thing to add enhancements that expand the possibilities
>> for that thing.
>> 
>> However; when I put in a second toilet I don't do it at the expense of the kitchen.
>> 
>> When I put a second LightScribe DVD burner in my G4 Mac I didn't rip out
>> 3 of the Hard-drives.
>> 
>> When I made a new computer desk so that I could snuggle my Linux text box
>> and my headless XP box right up next to my G4 linked monitor and keyboard
>> I still made sure I had easy access to my BBC Micro (very useful for calming-down
>> and modelling loops - in BBC BASIC - for implementing in RunRev later).
>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> On my G4 I have, amongst all the other 'Guff', RunRev 1.1.1 and 2.0.1, so I
>> can always "go back to the future" and run off a standalone for some older
>> OS; but, of course, a lot of the capabilities and features introduced in later
>> recensions of RunRev get lost.
>> 
>> But who wants to feed grass to a cow and wait for it to sick up its cud so
>> that it is slightly more digestable for humans?
>> 
>> sincerely, Richmond Mathewson.
>> ____________________________________________________________________
>> 
>> Mr Mathewson holds a BA in Philosophy and this sometimes gets the
>> better of him . . .  :)
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> 
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