Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 22, 2007 1:05:06 GMT -4
GOOD DOGS!
PBS RAISES THE WOOF FOR MAN'S BEST FRIEND
by Adam Buckman, NY Post
Rating: four stars
April 21, 2007 -- DOGS have been around for so long that it is hard to believe that our knowledge of them is not yet complete.
But, as this incredible installment of the PBS series "Nature" demonstrates, man is still striving to learn where dogs came from.
Specifically, scientists want to know the answer to this question: With conventional wisdom holding that the evolution of species is a process needing millions of years in which to take place, how did dogs make the comparatively swift evolutionary leap from wild wolves to domesticated pets in just a few thousand years?
The answers presented here, while largely theoretical, are fascinating to ponder. But what's really wonderful about this TV show is that it is so darned beautiful to look at.
In its exploration of the evolution of dogs, tomorrow night's hour-long show - subtitled "The Rise of the Dog" - focuses on a handful of specific breeds without whose help a handful of specific breeds of man would probably not have survived through the centuries.
But survive they do. In the forests of New Guinea, tribal hunters rely on the instincts of the domesticated "singing" hunting dog to help them track game.
In the Arctic Circle, Inuit tribesmen depend on the strength of their dog teams to pull their sleds for hundreds of miles across frozen wastelands. And, as if that were not enough, they depend on the dogs to actually sniff out the seals lurking in the water beneath the ice that the Inuits need for food.
Among the amazing facts reported by narrator F. Murray Abraham: Inuit sled dogs "are capable of running the equivalent of five marathons a day" (that's 130 miles) on a diet consisting solely of snow and seal blubber.
And in the highlands of the U.K., a shepherd keeps his flock in line with the help of whip-smart border collies. The dogs' abilities and the lush green setting make for a spectacular sequence of documentary filmmaking.
The show traces the history of man's relationship with dogs, even citing the discovery in Israel of a grave containing a 12,000-year-old skeleton of a woman with the skeleton of a puppy in her arms.
Among the most intriguing dog breeds profiled on the show are the hairless Mexican breed known as the Xoloitzcuintli (or cholo, for short), which were considered sacred by the Aztecs and which even today are believed to possess miraculous healing powers.
And when you get a glimpse of a real cholo you will begin to understand why an ancient civilization might regard these homely, yet mysteriously stately animals, with such awe.
Starting this weekend with the evolution of dogs as domestic companions and service providers for man, "Nature" winds up its two-part look at dogs next weekend (also on Sunday) with "Dogs by Design," a look at the "explosion of breeds" that followed the animals' domestication.
LINK HERE
PBS RAISES THE WOOF FOR MAN'S BEST FRIEND
by Adam Buckman, NY Post
Rating: four stars
April 21, 2007 -- DOGS have been around for so long that it is hard to believe that our knowledge of them is not yet complete.
But, as this incredible installment of the PBS series "Nature" demonstrates, man is still striving to learn where dogs came from.
Specifically, scientists want to know the answer to this question: With conventional wisdom holding that the evolution of species is a process needing millions of years in which to take place, how did dogs make the comparatively swift evolutionary leap from wild wolves to domesticated pets in just a few thousand years?
The answers presented here, while largely theoretical, are fascinating to ponder. But what's really wonderful about this TV show is that it is so darned beautiful to look at.
In its exploration of the evolution of dogs, tomorrow night's hour-long show - subtitled "The Rise of the Dog" - focuses on a handful of specific breeds without whose help a handful of specific breeds of man would probably not have survived through the centuries.
But survive they do. In the forests of New Guinea, tribal hunters rely on the instincts of the domesticated "singing" hunting dog to help them track game.
In the Arctic Circle, Inuit tribesmen depend on the strength of their dog teams to pull their sleds for hundreds of miles across frozen wastelands. And, as if that were not enough, they depend on the dogs to actually sniff out the seals lurking in the water beneath the ice that the Inuits need for food.
Among the amazing facts reported by narrator F. Murray Abraham: Inuit sled dogs "are capable of running the equivalent of five marathons a day" (that's 130 miles) on a diet consisting solely of snow and seal blubber.
And in the highlands of the U.K., a shepherd keeps his flock in line with the help of whip-smart border collies. The dogs' abilities and the lush green setting make for a spectacular sequence of documentary filmmaking.
The show traces the history of man's relationship with dogs, even citing the discovery in Israel of a grave containing a 12,000-year-old skeleton of a woman with the skeleton of a puppy in her arms.
Among the most intriguing dog breeds profiled on the show are the hairless Mexican breed known as the Xoloitzcuintli (or cholo, for short), which were considered sacred by the Aztecs and which even today are believed to possess miraculous healing powers.
And when you get a glimpse of a real cholo you will begin to understand why an ancient civilization might regard these homely, yet mysteriously stately animals, with such awe.
Starting this weekend with the evolution of dogs as domestic companions and service providers for man, "Nature" winds up its two-part look at dogs next weekend (also on Sunday) with "Dogs by Design," a look at the "explosion of breeds" that followed the animals' domestication.
LINK HERE
