Charles Darwin – Michael Broad

Explaining the evolution (creation) of the dense and long coat of Pallas’s cat (manul)

December 13, 2023 by Michael Broad

Natural selection created the Pallas's cat's long and dense coat which is not an adaptation to a cold climate but a genetic mutation which provided a benefit to this small wild species

Pallas’s cat (Latin, scientific name: Otocolobus manul) is considered to have the thickest coat of all the cat species. The obvious conclusion is that this small and charming-looking wild cat species needs a thick coat because they live in a very cold and harsh habitat. I’m told that the coat is so dense that …

In 1821, in the UK Parliament, there were howls of laughter about protecting cats

September 20, 2023 by Michael Broad

Illustration showing interior of House of Commons

Times have moved on substantially from 1821 in Britain. I think this was a time when the consequences of an era called The Enlightenment were being felt. Animal welfare in Britain was being discussed in Parliament perhaps for the first time. The first proposal for a law to prevent abuse of animals was a …