E16: Episodic Synchrony - Diversity in Consumer-Resource Systems

“I suppose most scientists—most authors—have one piece of work of which they would say: It doesn’t matter if you never read anything else of mine, please at least read *this*.”

Richard Dawkins wrote that in a note to a 1989 paperback edition of his book "The Extended Phenotype". Ryan appeals to this sentiment when it comes to the idea he outlines in this episode. Poor Harland has to sit and listen to Ryan talk about his “big idea”; one of resource-driven evolution that either drags a population down where a relic gets new life or pushes it up where abundance begets abundance, the results of which are sometimes the formation of new modes and new lineages.

The Dawdlers

00:06:03 – Animal figurines/Diversity & Diversification/Ryan’s “My Story”/Being Different

00:24:38 – Episodic Synchrony

00:46:10 – Impoverishment & Enrichment/Growth Stages/Rate of Increase*

01:13:38 – Anthropogenic Systems/Agritourism/Elite Overproduction

01:40:24 – Examples/Apple Maggot Flies/Cupuladriid Bryozoans/Kelp Gulls/Melanopsid Gastropods

02:19:59 – Harland thinks Episodic Synchrony is Obvious/Convergent Memetics/Harland’s Seal of Approval

02:25:04 – The Prevalence Argument for Episodic Synchrony

*Too late, a mortified Ryan now realizes a slip of his tongue when he said (over and over) “reproductive rate” instead of “rate of increase” or “per capita rate of change” [Forehead slap]. GET IT RIGHT, RYAAAANN!!!