#zoo post

[harinezumiko]

@miraculousvoltron​ Responding here separately because that poor post is bogged down by a billion notes! Big Mac was a beautiful mountain lion who sadly passed away about two years ago. 

Baby edition from when he first came to live at the zoo:

And Pinkie, indeed, was a house cat--a polydactyl! She was extremely super cute and also enjoyed hanging out on top of the small bird aviary and dangling her paws in, just to be a terror. 

[nonegenderwithleftbees]

dilapidatedheart mentioned you on a post

“Hello, what is your (scientific :D) opinion on transgender people and...”

@nonegenderwithleftbees which studies exactly? It’d be really helpful as I’m writing a dissertation about brain structure

Sure no worries! @dilapidatedheart

Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic  - this paper is the main one peope cite when talking about brain scans and differences in brains between genders. It’s unique in that it was one of the first studies to actually use the whole scan of the brain to look for “gender differences” (as well as size, and amount of gray vs. white matter) rather than just individual features or structures like majority of previous studies. It’s important to note however that they only looked at structure and not function of the brain. Here’s also an article on the research

Sex Redefined;  the idea of two sexes is simplistic - goes over previous data and points out that even the most basic fundamental aspects of sexual differentiation (chromosomes, cells, genital anatomy, reproductive anatomy, ect.) doesn’t fit the female/male binary and that thinking in male/female terms it no longer tenable.

Black and White or Shades of Gray; Are Gender Differences Categorical or Dimensional? - this research review found that behavioural measures used to score male or females can’t actually be grouped into two categories (male or female)

Brain size, sex, and the aging brain - this research found that the “sex differences” found in their study actually turned out to be false when proper and careful analytical techniques were actually used.

The human hippocampus is not sexually-dimorphic: Meta-analysis of structural MRI volumes  - this paper finds the same as the above. When proper analytical techniques are used the “results” they found on “sex differences” in the brain disappear.

The Gender Similarities Hypothesis - the above research also finds similar results to what  psychologists have been reporting for for several years now; when it comes to cognitive and personality characteristics, the “two sexes” are more similar than they are different

There’s tons and tons more and there’s neroscientists (like Prof Gina Rippon) who make the really good point of pointing out that many “female / male brains are different” studies are most likely the result of gender bias and stereotyping from the researchers themselves, a result of being raised in a society that raises children with such strict gender roles, or from lack of proper and careful analysis. 

Alot of these studies also don’t include trans people. 

[nonegenderwithleftbees]

for people who claim to care so much about the “rights” of animals, some of you know nothing about animals

[nonegenderwithleftbees]

did some fun stuff in the labs with mantises today and managed to get one so I can pin and display it

[nonegenderwithleftbees]

I’d wish you’d all push lgbt+ books written by actual gay men as much as you’re all pushing a book by written by a straight woman

[nonegenderwithleftbees]

lilliputianmerriell replied to your post: dilapidatedheart mentioned you on a post “Hello,...

Really interesting articles, thanks for sharing! The whole notion that there are distinct female/male brains are ridiculous. It stems from an old-fashion idea of brain-size, though in reality the brains of all genders are inherently the same in volume for instance. Further, the brain is a fairly consistent structure, so gender differences that might arise and be observed on a neural level can be boiled down to epigenetics and behavioural differences to hormones in glands

Yep 100% agree, you’re spot on.

 As a biologist it makes me really annoyed seeing articles spread around social media about how “female” brains are better at something or male brains are better at this or that. Because it’s 1) not at all what the research study was concluding and 2) that’s not how science works. Just because one paper concluded something doesn’t mean it’s now fact. One study means jack, you need continuous studies and data that find similar results.

it’s becoming pretty obvious that attempting to shove brains into either “female” or “male” boxes doesn’t work or match with what we now know scientifically. So science is slowly catching up and evolving in realising binary sex is a bunch of bull.

I suggest reading Evolution's Rainbow by Joan Roughgarden if you haven’t yet also! It’s got lots of great discussion about the above and gender/sexuality in animals/plants in general. 

[nonegenderwithleftbees]

why are ugly het girls trying so hard to defend adam driver. Get some fucking taste please

[nonegenderwithleftbees]

mmmm animal rights activists trying to talk shit about sheering sheep like.... my god have you like ever set foot on a farm, like ever?