Michael Anthony Woodley was born in England in 1984. He received his Ph.D in 2011 from Royal Holloway, University of London, where he studied the community ecology of the thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). He has recently transitioned into the study of human behavior and evolution, where his research fucusses on the evolution and development of intelligence, personality, life history and political orientations. His other major interest is in the scientific aspects of what has been termed 'cryptozoology'.
Abstract: A new life history model of the LynnâFlynn effect is presented based on the idea that life history speed is
primarily associated with a trade-off between positive manifold strength (fast life history) and differentiation
with respect to abilities (slow life history) rather than individual differences in levels of g (which
instead function as a fitness indicator and are associated with pleiotropic mutation load). Given that the
LynnâFlynn effect concerns only the non-g variance in test scores it is proposed that it is associated with
ability differentiation resulting from recent population-level shifts towards slower life history speed as a
consequence of the mitigation of sources of environmental unpredictability and harshness, such as pathogen
stress and malnourishment. Smaller family sizes are also significant as not only do they result from
slower life history speed, but they might also potentiate further life history slowing. Education may also
slow life history, furthermore it is involved in the cultivation of specialized patterns of cognitive abilities.
Empirical predictions are made in the discussion, which if tested, could present definitive evidence either
confirming or refuting the life history model.
Abstract: A number of taxonomic nomina have been granted on the basis of holotypes, which are not represented by physical onomatophores. It is frequently claimed that cryptids, the objects of cryptozoological study, are excluded from nomenclatural consideration by the Code of the ICZN on the basis that they are ostensibly hypothetical concepts. However it has been observed that the Code can be reasonably interpreted in a way that does not support this as cryptids have often been granted nomina on the basis of descriptions, photographs, drawings etc, meaning that rather than simply being nomina nuda, these names can technically be interpreted as having a more ambiguous standing zoologically. After a systematic review of the history of such attempts at granting nomina to cryptids, a new classification system is proposed in the form of the aequivotaxa concept, which employs the properties of the evidence rather than speculations concerning the identities and affinities of cryptids as the descriptive basis for classification. It is proposed that this new classification scheme will resolve the ambiguous standing of non-voucher specimen supported nomina, such as those proposed for cryptids, which will help in facilitating their technical appraisal as they can be discussed in an objective and systematic manner.
Abstract: A recent paper [Woolley, Chabris, Pentland, Hashmi, & Malone. (2010). Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. Science, 330, 686â688] presents evidence for the existence of a general collective intelligence factor, âc,â which may undergird performance on a variety of group tasks. This factor appears to be only modestly correlated with the average and maximum intelligence of group members whilst being more strongly correlated with the average social sensitivity of group members, a tendency for several members to contribute to group conversations rather than a small number dominating the discussions, and the proportion of females in the group. An alternative hypothesis, not considered by the authors, is that the General Factor of Personality (GFP) is able to account for the correlates of c observed, and that c may therefore be primarily a group level manifestation of the GFP, with a subordinate contribution from general intelligence. We maintain that a consideration of the GFP and its correlates as potential confounding variables would be of considerable benefit to future research into collective intelligence.
Abstract: This article presents a potential synthesis between the fitness indicator and life history models of human intelligence through consideration of the phenomena of ability differentiation and integration. The cognitive differentiation-integration effort hypothesis proposes that these effects result from a life history tradeoff between cognitive integration effort, a mating effort component associated with strengthening the positive manifold amongst abilities; and cognitive differentiation effort, a somatic effort component associated with the cultivation of specific abilities. This represents one of two largely independent sources of genetic variance in intelligence; the other is mediated by general fitness and mutation load and is associated with individual differences in levels of âgenetic gâ. These two sources (along with a common source of environmental variance) combine to give rise to a variety of cognitive phenotypes characterized by different combinations of high or low levels of âgenetic gâ and cognitive specialism or generalism. Fundamental to this model is the assumption that measures of life history speed (K) and g are essentially independent, which is demonstrated via meta-analysis of 10 studies reporting correlations between the variables (p= .023, ns, n=2056). The implications of the model are discussed in an evolutionary, ecological, and developmental context. Seven key predictions are made in the discussion which if tested could provide definitive evidence for the hypothesis.
Abstract: A recent study [Heaven, Ciarrochi& Leeson, (2011). Cognitive ability, right-wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation: A five-year longitudinal study amongst adolescents. Intelligence, 39, 15â21] finds evidence that amongst an Australian student sample, low g and verbal ability are predictive of RightWing Authoritarianism (RWA) and that low verbal ability is predictive of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). They speculate that those high on RWA might expend little effort in information processing, exhibit simplified judgments and (in the case of SDO) possess lower social competence. RWA and SDO are primarily measures of attitudes and it is known that explicit attitudes can be wholly at variance to implicit orientations. The finding is reinterpreted in light of the cultural-mediation hypothesis, whereby high-IQ individuals possessing flexible and adaptable personalities explicitly process the political and social attitudes that best resonate with culturally constructed norms. It is concluded that the cultural-mediation hypothesis should be the default hypothesis in explaining the direction of the correlation between IQ and political orientation. Only when potential cultural mediators have been ruled out should other hypotheses be considered.
Abstract: Mingroni (see record 2007-10421-011) proposed that heterosis or hybrid vigor may be the principal driver of the Flynn effect-the tendency for IQ scores to increase at a rate of approximately 3 points per decade. This model was presented as a resolution to the IQ paradox-the observation that IQ scores have been increasing despite their high adult heritability-on the basis that substantial changes in IQ can only be accounted for by changes in underlying genetic factors. It is here argued that this model is predicated upon a misconception of the Flynn effect, which is most pronounced on the least g-loaded components of cognitive ability tests and is uncorrelated with genetic effects such as inbreeding depression scores (which are correlated with the g loadings of tests). Evidence supportive of the recently proposed life history model of the Flynn effect is presented. In the discussion, other theoretical objections to the heterosis model are also considered. On this basis, it is concluded that the Flynn effect is strongly entwined with developmental status and that heterosis cannot be its principal cause.
Abstract: Eyewitness reports and cultural representations have been interpreted by some researchers to suggest the existence of a large, long-bodied marine vertebrate in the northeast Pacific. Dubbed âCaddyâ or âCadborosaurusâ (after Cadboro Bay, British Columbia), it was formally named and described as Cadborosaurus willsi by Bousfi eld and LeBlond in 1995. Among the supposedly most informative accounts is the alleged 1968 capture of a juvenile by William Hagelund, detailed in his 1986 book Whalers No More. Reportedly morphologically similar to adult âCadborosaurs,â the specimen was comparatively tiny, and apparently precocial. Bousfi eld and LeBlond argue that this strongly supports their contention that âCaddyâ is reptilian (juvenile reptiles are typically precocial, recalling âminiature adultsâ in both behavior and morphology). Anomalous traits suggest some degree of misrecollection in Hagelundâs account, furthermore a quantitative analysis of the similarity of 14 candidate identities with the specimen indicates that it most strongly resembles the bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus)âfar more so than a cryptid or reptile. While this detracts from the plausibility of the cryptid, the re-identifi cation of this particular specimen does not discount the data as a whole nor does it suggest that all âCaddyâ reports are necessarily of known fish. We contend that the âreptilian hypothesisâ does, however, need to be seriously re-examined in light of the removal of a strong piece of evidence.
Abstract: A controversial hypothesis [Charlton (2009). Clever sillies: Why high-IQ people tend to be deficient in common sense. Medical Hypotheses, 73, 867â870] has recently been proposed to account for why individuals of high-IQ and high social status tend to hold counter-intuitive views on social phenomena. It is claimed that these âclever silliesâ use their high general intelligence and Openness to Experience to overanalyze social problems for which socially intelligent/common sense responses would seemingly be more appropriate. The first three sections of this review will consider i) the relationship between general and social intelligence; ii) the role of situational effects on the direction of the correlation between IQ and political attitudes; iii) the behavioral ecology of competitive altruism. While there is no hard evidence for Charlton's hypothesis, sophisticated although ultimately non-rational subjective analyses of social phenomena (i.e. ones that are disconfirmed by data, or reject empiricism) do seem to be favored by individuals in certain high-IQ knowledge work sectors. It is suggested that these function as costly signals of altruism, and that their popularity can best be understood in light of the theory that social attitudes are fundamentally influenced by perceptions of dominance and counter-dominance, with the latter playing an especially significant role in influencing the values systems of contemporary societies where the degree of conspicuous inequality is significantly evolutionarily novel.
Abstract: The term race is a traditional synonym for subspecies, however it is frequently asserted that Homo sapiens is monotypic and that what are termed races are nothing more than biological illusions. In this manuscript a case is made for the hypothesis that H.sapiens is polytypic, and in this way is no different from other species exhibiting similar levels of genetic and morphological diversity. First it is demonstrated that the four major definitions of race/subspecies can be shown to be synonymous within the context of the framework of race as a correlation structure of traits. Next the issue of taxonomic classification is considered where it is demonstrated that H.sapiens possesses high levels morphological diversity, genetic heterozygosity and differentiation (FST) compared to many species that are acknowledged to be polytypic with respect to subspecies. Racial variation is then evaluated in light of the phylogenetic species concept, where it is suggested that the least inclusive monophyletic units exist below the level of species within H.sapiens indicating the existence of a number of potential human phylogenetic species; and the biological species concept, where it is determined that racial variation is too small to represent differentiation at the level of biological species. Finally the implications of this are discussed in the context of anthropology where an accurate picture of the sequence and timing of events during the evolution of human taxa are required for a complete picture of human evolution, and medicine, where a greater appreciation of the role played by human taxonomic differences in disease susceptibility and treatment responsiveness will save lives in the future.
Abstract: In this ecological study, a robust negative correlation of r = â .62 (P less than .01) is reported between national IQs and consanguinity as measured by the log10 transformed percentage of consanguineous marriages for 72 countries. This correlation is reduced in magnitude, when IQ is controlled for GDP per capita (r = â .41, P less than .01); education index (r = â .40, P less than .01); and democracy index (r = â .42, P less than .01). Multiple regression analysis revealed that in the absence of the democracy index; percentage consanguineous marriages, education index and GDP per capita all exhibited stable final standardized β coefficients, however consanguinity had the least impact (β = 0, P greater than .05) whereas GDP per capita had the highest (β = .35, P greater than .01). This result is interpreted in light of cultural feedback theory, whereby it is suggested that consanguinity could subtly influence IQ at larger scales as a result of small IQ handicaps bought about through inbreeding being amplified into much larger differences through their effect on factors that maximize IQ such as access to education and adequate nutrition. Finally, consideration is given to future potential research directions.
Abstract: Large extant marine vertebrates continue to be discovered and described: during the late twentieth and early twenty-ï¬rst century, several cetaceans and chondrichthyans exceeding three metres in total length have been described, including the megamouth shark, Omuraâs whale, Bandolero (or Peruvian or Lesser) beaked whale, and Perrinâs beaked whale. Statistical methods have been employed by several workers in an effort to estimate the number of such species that remain to be described, and results indicate that between 10 and c. 50 such species remain. Here, we examine the description record of the pinnipeds using non-linear and logistic regression models in an effort to determine how many members of this group might remain undescribed. Regression based on a Michaelis â Menten function suggests that as many as 15 such species remain, whilst logistic regression suggests a far lower number (closer to 0). We combine these approaches with an evaluation of cryptozoological data, as ethnozoological evidence suggests the existence of several large-bodied marine vertebrates that have been interpreted by some authors as unusual pinnipeds. These include the so called âlong-necked sea-serpentâ, âmerhorseâ and âtizhurekâ. Because cryptozoological data are mostly discussed in the âgrey literatureâ, appraisals of these cryptids have never appeared in the mainstream literature, perpetuating a cycle whereby these putative animals remain
unevaluated.
Abstract: In this manuscript, after a brief review of the history of typological thinking in the biological sciences from Transcendentalism to Structuralism, it is argued that natural Platonic laws may operate in ecosystems. This claim is based on two observations of law-like behaviour. Firstly, that adaptation towards specialization can be considered as a form of typological lineage degeneration, where specialized species are more vulnerable to environmental peturbation. And secondly, that the convergent recurrence of biological forms indicates that there exists a finite number of niches which in the abstract could be considered as ecological analogies to Denton's molecular Platonic moulds, operating as attractors and restricting the range of possible organismal body plans based on the physical and chemical gradients that partly define their hyper-structure.
Abstract: Ecosystems seem to be an ideal candidate for geometric analysis, as they possess components whose interactions can be modeled on both spatial and hyper-spatial scales. Such analysis can be invaluable in generating novel hypotheses, and experimental design. In this paper we use a species niche based geometric approach to illustrate a novel potential consequence of adaptation within an ecosystem.
Abstract: A new conception of evolution is considered in light of ecosystems as superorganisms, where competition takes place and selective pressures are transmitted throughout the fabric of an ecosystem via chains of interacting niches, and the end result is a coordinated evolution where the structure of the ecosystem exerts control over the direction of evolutionary change. Evidence is presented for this position in the form of observations on the role of species adaptation as a barrier to biological invasion within climax ecosystems. Finally, humanity, as a possible ecosystem level 'virus', is considered in the context of its obligations to the whole ecosphere.
Abstract: In this paper, an entirely novel, theoretical restoration/conservation tool will be described. This tool will take the form of self-sustaining âsynthetic vegetationâ designed, through the use of solar energy, to generate Oxygen through the electrolysis of water and sequester CO2 in a disposable form through the formation of Carbonic acid amongst other things; in short simulate many of the major functions of living vegetation. The environmental role of synthetic vegetation as a terrestrial ecosystem âprosthesisâ is evaluated with a Carbon acquisition calculation and a cost benefit analysis reviewing the benefits of utilization in the context of material costs. It is proposed that synthetic vegetation could greatly aid in conservation by regenerating degraded environments and speeding up the process of restoration.
Notes: Abstracted in: Index Medicus for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. (2006). 5:2. 34-35.
Abstract: Darwin (1880) proposed a role for nyctinastic circadian driven leaf movements in the conservation of meristemic heat. We have shown that in Arabidopsis thaliana, a highly r-strategist weed, such movements may play a novel role in facilitating competition for light between individual plants through an action characterized by leaf overtopping. Experiments have been conducted investigating the adaptive role of this mechanism, in which wild type was put into direct spatial competition with the arrhythmic circadian clock mutant, lhy-1. Two different light regimes (16 hour day, 8 hour night and continuous light) were used in an effort to determine under which conditions competition, as measured by image analysis of leaf area from an aerial view, was maximized. It was found that the day/night cycle regime conferred a selective advantage on wild type. It consistently out-competed lhy-1, acquiring a total leaf exposure area that was at least 25% greater than lhy-1. Under continuous light conditions the advantage was gained by lhy-1 indicating that such an environment is negatively selective with respect to circadian leaf movements. These experimental results compliment the findings of similar experiments conducted using arrhythmic circadian mutants of the cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongates (Woelfle et al., 2004). These data are indicative of an adaptive role for circadian driven leaf movements in A. thaliana as a resource-seeking aid in competition.
Darwin, C. R., 1880. The Power of Movement in Plants. John Murray, London.
Woelfle, M. A., Ouyang, Y., Phanvijhitsiri, K., Johnson, C. H., 2004. Current Biology, 14, 1481-1486.
Abstract: This study reports the existence of a significant and robust correlation at the ecological data scale between consanguinity (as measured by the coefficient of inbreeding α), and levels of democratization (as measured by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index) for a sample of 67 countries (r=-0.76, p<0.01). Partial correlation analysis was used to control for the effects of IQ and log GDP per capita seperately, and both simultaneously on the correlation (r=-0.56, -0.79 and -0.59 respectively, p<0.01). Multiple regression analysis also found that consanguinity was a better predictor of levels of democratization than either oil production (a test of the resource curse theory) or economic freedom (a test of the theory that democracy and capitalism are intrinsically linked) in a sample of 25 countries (β=-0.57, p<0.01; -0.03, p>0.05 and 0.50, p<0.01 respectively). Democracy only seems to be an optimal political system for nations in which consanguinity has not allowed for the extensive perpetuation of genetically closed ethnic kinship networks. The theory of inclusive fitness suggests that it would be to the advantage of such genetically closed networks to advance their own position politically and socially rather than compromise with other networks in terms of power sharing.
Abstract: There currently exists a significant dearth of research into the community ecology of Arabidopsis thaliana (this is particularly true in the case of the most commonly used laboratory ecotype, Columbia 0) owing to the molecular-genetic emphasis characteristic of most studies. Such research, whilst significant, has led to a general failure to consider the ecological and evolutionary context of many of the commonly studied genetic and physiological systems. It is argued that this molecular-genetic emphasis has effectively âshort changedâ ecology, as there are a variety of ways in which Col-0 lends its self to being an effective model in the study of a variety of ecological phenomena. In exploring this an attempt has been made at characterizing three broad domains of the plantâs community ecology; i) co-existence related inter-specific interactions associated with rhizospheric bacteria, where ecophysiological and molecular methods are used to assess and model the community structure of the Col-0 rhizosphere. ii) Intra-specific interactions, where a novel mechanism aiding competition is elucidated, characterized by circadian leaf movements causing overtopping of the leaves of competitor plants. iii) Life history trade-offs, where the phytochrome system is integrated into the life history matrix of Col-0 through a study of two mutant genes, upregulated by phyB, which were found to alter the plantâs life history speed. The connections between these community ecology domains, and the significance of the findings of this study are finally discussed with respect to future research, with the objective of establishing A. thaliana, in particular Col-0, as a model organism for ecological and evolutionary research.
