John Hawks' really needs to permit comments on his blog. I mean, without comments, is it really a blog? I bring this up because this post really belongs in the (non-existent) comments of this post from Hawks. Hawks discusses this article on human gut flora fauna microbes.
According to the article, we are superorganisms that depend on our gut microbes to assist us in digesting food, much like these guys. We get a lot of our intestinal buddies when we pass through the birth canal, and we pick up others throughout life (see here for more on intestinal microbes). The worms that are attached to the bottom of the ocean, however, can only get their helpers from the environment.
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I can't entirely blame Hawks for not having comments given his subject matter; anything to do with human origins and human evolution invites cranks and ignites firestorms. Look at some of the racist wackos who show up at Razib's old blog. If Hawks doesn't want to have to deal with that, it's understandable.
afaik that's what trackbacks are for... i don't know if they predated comments in blogs, but in a way trackbacks are better..because it means that everything originating from you is in YOUR blog.. but things in your blog that are commentary on another blog can be visible from that blog w/ trackbacks..
i think that's how the theory goes.. (to prove my point i should have posted this in a trackback..hmm?)