[Goanet] {Dilip's essays} Birds, cats and evolution's way

[Dilip D'Souza]

Aug 13

Cheetahs have been on my mind, and I suspect I speak for a lot of people.
India imported several cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa starting a
year ago, in an effort to regenerate an Indian population of these
exquisite animals. Sadly, six have died, as also three cubs born here
earlier this year.

Hummingbirds, I would venture to say, are always on my mind.

Anyway, the physical strain these two creatures put on their bodies
routinely always puzzles me. Hummingbirds beat their wings incredibly fast;
cheetahs run incredibly fast, if for short spells. How they do it is one
question worth asking. But I also ran across humminbird research suggesting
that some species have evolved ways to avoid some of this extreme physical
exertion. And those species have evolved generally shorter beaks.

Intrigued, like I was? Take a look: Birds, cats and evolution's way,
https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/the-evolution-of-extraordinary-exertion-how-cheetahs-and-hummingbirds-sustain-their-remarkable-abilities-11689273734603.html

cheers,
dilip

---


Birds, cats and the way of evolution


Something has always intrigued me about cheetahs and hummingbirds. No, it
isn't as if I sit here all day wracking my brains over both gorgeous
animals. But every now and then, I do. Like when I began writing this, when
there came news of a seventh death among the cheetahs we imported from
Africa last year.

Tragedy aside, this is what I wonder about cheetahs and hummingbirds: how
do these animals sustain the exertions they put their bodies through?

Take the cheetah, first. It's a beautiful animal no doubt, but it's also
one of the fastest on the planet.

How do we know this? As far back as 1965, a tame cheetah in Kenya was
trained to run behind a moving car. Well, the car had a piece of meat tied
to its back as an incentive for the animal. Over three such runs, she
averaged 102.5 kmph. That remains the fastest speed ever recorded by a land
mammal.

In the wild, cheetahs don't necessarily have to go quite that fast, for
their prey is usually slower than they are. But for me, the interesting
question is not about that remarkable speed, but how, and how long, the
cheetah can sustain it. After all, even the best conditioned human athletes
can maintain a flat-out sprint for no more than about 30 seconds. World
sprint records tell that story: among men, the 100m record is 9.58 seconds
and the 200m, 19.19 seconds - just about twice the 100m record. So
top-flight athletes can sprint at their fastest for at least 200m. But the
400m? 43.03 seconds, which is well over twice as long as for the 200m.
That's already a sign that over distances longer than 200m, athletes can't
do a full sprint. Instead, they must pace themselves.

What about the cheetah? Well, about the same maximum time for a flat-out
sprint: 30 seconds. In that time, at its top speed of about 100kmph, a
cheetah can cover a few hundred metres. Any more, and its heart - pumping
at about 250 beats per minute (bpm) by then - will probably buckle under
the strain. Of course, often enough a cheetah will catch up with its prey
within 30 seconds. But if it doesn't, the big cat will have to give up the
chase and take a rest, let its beating heart slow down to its normal
resting rate of about 120bpm.

What about hummingbirds, then? They don't run, of course, so what is the
connection to cheetahs?

Their exertions and metabolism, that's what. There are times - freezing
nights when there's nothing to be gained by flying about - when these
little creatures become semi-comatose. In that state, their pulse rate can
be as low as 75 beats per minute, comparable to a healthy human being at
rest. But when they are flying from flower to flower during the day, that
rate can rise to over 1200 bpm.

Why so? Consider what the hummingbird is doing as it flies - flapping its
wings frenetically. That makes enormous energy demands on the bird.
Besides, being so small means it loses body heat faster than larger
animals, more quickly using up the oxygen in its blood. So just to keep up
the oxygen supply, a hummingbird's heart has to pump faster than in other
birds. The heart has also evolved to be larger in relation to the bird's
body than in other animals: about 2.5% of its body weight, compared to
about 0.3% for humans.

All due to beating wings. In normal flight, hummingbirds average about 50
wing beats per second (bps). That's already too fast for the human eye to
see. But with some of these birds, there are times when that can rise to 80
bps. If you do the arithmetic, that's one beat of the heart for every four
beats of the wings.

Naturally, like with cheetahs breaking into a full-tilt sprint, this rapid
wing action cannot sustain beyond a certain length of time. I don't have an
idea of how long that is. But even though we know of hummingbirds from
their hovering and flitting from flower to flower, we also know that they
spend a large part of the day at rest, perched somewhere.

Still, the 

[Goanet-News] SUNDAY SPECIAL: Meagan Alphonso Pandian is the first and currently only pedal harp player in India

[Frederick Noronha]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibzj0e6SMw

This is a very short recording from her performance at the MoCA (Museum of
Christian Art) this evening, Sunday, Aug 13, 2023 at Old Goa.   More about
Meagan Alphonso Pandian (who traces her roots to the Goan village of
Aldona): She is mainly self taught having completed the ATCL diploma from
Trinity College London in pedal harp performance within four years of
learning the instrument. She has also studied with harp virtuoso Olga
Shevelevich in Germany as well as given harp recitals at the Jehangir Art
Gallery and NCPA.   At the Harp School, the first of its kind in India,
Meagan trains her students in both pedal and lever harp as well as meeting
the harp needs of her students and visiting artists. She has collaborated
with maestro A.R. Rahman, singer Arijit Singh and many other artists. Solo
performances at NCPA (Mumbai), The Bangalore School of Music (Bengaluru),
The Wandering Artist (Chennai) and Chai 3:16 (Bengaluru) have ensued.
Meagan also plays the piano, violin and viola. She has completed the
Licentiate of the Trinity College London exan (LTCL) and Dip. ABRSM on
piano. She won The Young Musician of the Year 2014 award in piano
performance allowing her to give piano recitals in India and France. She
has also performed with The Bombay Chamber Orchestra (BCO), Indian National
Youth Orchestra (INYO) and Indian Youth Orchestra (IYO) in association with
the Canadian National Youth Orchestra (CIYO). Recorded by the Goa Music in
School WhatsApp group to build awareness about music and talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibzj0e6SMw
-- 

FN * +91-9822122436 * 784 Saligao 403511 Bardez Goa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Join a discussion on Goa-related
issues by posting your comments
on this or other issues via email
to goa...@goanet.org
See archives at
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Re: [Goanet] Manipur

[Eddie D'Sa]

Agree.
This Guju fanatic called Modi must be kept out of any Manipur 
discussions


Eddie

-- Original Message --
From: "john menezes" 
To: "goanet@lists.goanet.org" ; 
"lopednelson...@gmail.com" 

Sent: Saturday, 12 Aug, 23 At 03:59
Subject: [Goanet] Manipur
Manipur is an alongside colony and no longer a part of Índia and should 
be taken charge of by the United Nations Trusteeship Council unless, 
constitutional, administrative and security parity with other states can 
be restored immediately. JM

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Re: [Goanet] [Goanet-News] Rosary in Portuguese * Sunday, Aug 13, 2023 at 9.30 pm IST

[Eddie D'Sa]

Will someone please explain the point of this Euro devotion called the 
Rosary?

How does it help Goans??

Eddie
-- Original Message --
From: "Frederick Noronha" 
To: "Goanet" 
Sent: Saturday, 12 Aug, 23 At 21:32
Subject: [Goanet-News] Rosary in Portuguese * Sunday, Aug 13, 2023 at 
9.30 pm IST
*Graca Costa (a Goan from Mozambique, now in Portugal) sent in this 
invite.

Just sharing it with anyone interested. It might not be a big thing, but
for old timers Goans in Goa (and other non-Portuguese speaking parts of 
the
globe), this is an opportunity to pray in the language they once used. 
If

not of interest, kindly overlook*
Join the Rosary in Portuguese (online)
--
Invitation: Rosário Agosto 2023 @ Sun 13 Aug 2023 9:30pm - 10:30pm (IST)
Aug 13, 2023 Sun
Rosário Agosto 2023
When Sun 13 Aug 2023 9:30pm - 10:30pm (IST)
Join with Google Meet
Meeting link
meet.google.com/fwm-bkvp-ygo

Envio este convite para nos juntarmos na recitação do rosário. Aqui vai 
a

sequência das dezenas:
Sending you this invitation for the recitation of the rosary. Here is 
the

decade sequence:
1 - Paula Fernandes
2 - Susan Fernandes
3 - Marçal + Viola
4 - Mervyn Maciel
5 - Claudio Cardozo

Further details from: gpfco...@gmail.com
NOTE: Timing above is IST (India time).
--
FN * +91-9822122436 * 784 Saligao 403511 Bardez Goa
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Join a discussion on Goa-related
issues by posting your comments
on this or other issues via email
to goa...@goanet.org
See archives at
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/ 


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

[Goanet] SUNDAY SPECIAL: Meagan Alphonso Pandian is the first and currently only pedal harp player in India

[Frederick Noronha]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibzj0e6SMw

This is a very short recording from her performance at the MoCA (Museum of
Christian Art) this evening, Sunday, Aug 13, 2023 at Old Goa.   More about
Meagan Alphonso Pandian (who traces her roots to the Goan village of
Aldona): She is mainly self taught having completed the ATCL diploma from
Trinity College London in pedal harp performance within four years of
learning the instrument. She has also studied with harp virtuoso Olga
Shevelevich in Germany as well as given harp recitals at the Jehangir Art
Gallery and NCPA.   At the Harp School, the first of its kind in India,
Meagan trains her students in both pedal and lever harp as well as meeting
the harp needs of her students and visiting artists. She has collaborated
with maestro A.R. Rahman, singer Arijit Singh and many other artists. Solo
performances at NCPA (Mumbai), The Bangalore School of Music (Bengaluru),
The Wandering Artist (Chennai) and Chai 3:16 (Bengaluru) have ensued.
Meagan also plays the piano, violin and viola. She has completed the
Licentiate of the Trinity College London exan (LTCL) and Dip. ABRSM on
piano. She won The Young Musician of the Year 2014 award in piano
performance allowing her to give piano recitals in India and France. She
has also performed with The Bombay Chamber Orchestra (BCO), Indian National
Youth Orchestra (INYO) and Indian Youth Orchestra (IYO) in association with
the Canadian National Youth Orchestra (CIYO). Recorded by the Goa Music in
School WhatsApp group to build awareness about music and talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibzj0e6SMw
-- 

FN * +91-9822122436 * 784 Saligao 403511 Bardez Goa

[Goanet] Kokum Curry Panjim - impressions

[Rajan Parrikar]

(I left this review on Tripadvisor and Google Reviews.)

The Best of Goan Hindu Cuisine

The cuisine of Goa may be divided into two sub-genres. Broadly speaking
there is the Goan Hindu cuisine and the Goan Catholic cuisine, representing
the main two communities. There is overlap between the two but there are
also significant differences. Even within the category of Goan Hindu
cuisine there obtain variations.

Kokum Curry specializes in and celebrates the cuisine of the Goan Gaud
Saraswat Brahmin community. It is run by the epicure Sapna Sardessai and
her crew.

The premises in the Panjim branch are elegantly conceived, the visual
themes carrying subtle, warm touches of Goa. The halls are spacious and
airy making it a pleasant dining experience.

The highlight is, of course, the food. This is authentic Goan Hindu food,
no different from what one would find in a Goan home. The written word can
scarcely do justice to the offerings, but the care in preparation and the
finesse in presentation earn this restaurant the highest grade in the
culinary business.

I was already impressed by their branch in Candolim established in 2021.
The Panjim location kicks it up another notch or two. Clearly the
enterprise is a product of the love, devotion, and effort put in by the
team.

On this monsoon morning, we had the vegetarian "Shravan thali," specially
curated by Sapna to mark the Hindu holy month. It was marvellous. For those
inclined towards non-vegetarian fare, there was much on offer, too.

This is currently the finest restaurant in Goa.

Rajan Parrikar

[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Comment: "Saree on the Beach"

[Rajan Parrikar]

Monsoon mood.

At Rajabaga beach in Canacona, South Goa.

https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/08/12/saree-on-the-beach/


Rajan Parrikar

[Goanet] [Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar] Comment: "Catch of the Morning"

[Rajan Parrikar]

Regarding the Goan predilection for fish, poet-laureate Bakibab Borkar said
it best:

Please Sir, God of Death
Don’t make it my turn today,
not today
There’s fish curry for dinner.

Seen the other day in Miramar, Panjim. Plucked from the sea right behind
her.

https://blog.parrikar.com/2023/08/07/catch-of-the-morning/

Rajan Parrikar