linking back to brembs.net






My lab:
lab.png
After reporting on the study of the evolution of insect flight not too long ago, there is now not one but two Nature articles on more missing links which are no longer missing. The palaeontologists describe a fossil (Tiktaalik roseae) which is assumed to have lived in very shallow streams (excellent NYT article). The remarkable feature of this fossil is that its body and skin looks like a fish's, it's mouth like a crocodile's and its fins look like half-way between legs and fins. The bones in especially the pectoral fins are very close to the legs of today's land-dwelling animals all the way down to the wrist. Only the fingers are missing (but apparently there are "proto-fingers"). The scientists describe the fossil as a transition between fish and tetrapod. A fish with legs, if that doesn't get your imagery rolling!
This is yet another devastating blow to the old argument of the gaps in the fossil record. Of course, each year these gaps are getting filled and there are not that many big ones left. No, wait! Of course, if I find a fossil in one such gap, that makes two new gaps around that fossil! LOL
I guess the ever favorite bumper-sticker evolution wars will take a new turn now
In the beginning, there was Ichtyos:

Ichtyos evolved into Darwin:

Darwin was eaten by Truth:

But in the end, reality bites. Couldn't be more fitting!
Posted on Monday 10 April 2006 - 17:10:41 comment: 0
{TAGS}

Render time: 0.0595 sec, 0.0056 of that for queries.