As I described in a recent post about the evolution of Genomicron (entitled, um, The evolution of Genomicron), one of the things that got me interested in blogs was finding that topics in my area (genome size evolution) were being discussed. Specifically, the intriguing question about whether birds exhibit small genomes relative to most other tetrapods as an adaptation or exaptation for flight. This discussion was sparked by a paper in Nature by Chris Organ and others, about which Carl Zimmer wrote in Science. Obviously, I have an interest in this subject, having published papers on the topic before.

Anyway, two of the blogs that provided posts on this issue, and thus indirectly got me into blogging, were Sandwalk by Larry Moran [Genome size in birds] and Evolution…Not Just a Theory Anymore by Greg Laden [Metabolic efficiency and genome size]. These were two of the first blogs to which I subscribed, and I continue to read their feeds daily. It is therefore of interest to note two important developments relating to these excellent blogs.

First, today is the first anniversary of Sandwalk. I remember when Larry reached the six month mark and was contemplating the blog’s future. I had been blogging for only a few weeks then, and it was refreshing to see someone with an established blog explicitly evaluating the utility of blogging for scientists.

Second, Greg Laden has officially closed his old blog and moved up to the big time on Seed’s all-encompassing ScienceBlogs — see the dandy new Greg Laden’s Blog. I wish him continued success and look forward to many more informative and interesting posts.