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Can we swap places for a day because, quite frankly, I'm getting sick of these 100+ degree days...

Sure we can. I need a little sunshine.

That's a dicynodont. I'm not sure which species it's supposed to be. Is it a reptile? Is it a mammal? Neither! It's a synapsid. Synapsid is a term given to all prehistoric amniotes more closely related to mammals than modern birds and reptiles. Synapsids split off from reptiles soon after reptiles split off from amphibians. Synapsids later gave rise to mammals. Synapsids later faded into nonexistance while mammals survived.

I've read on Bulbapedia that Bulbasaur may be based on a dicynodont.

I've got a potato in the oven, cooking.

Poor old misfit. I think the whale has an interesting lineage.

I agree. The whale is a sea creature descended from land animals like Pakicetus and semi-aquatic mammals like Ambulocetus. Ambulocetus was the closest the mammal class ever had to a crocodile. Now the largest whales are not only the largest creatures in the sea but also the largest creatures ever to exist! Fish were kings of the sea first and even they never got that big. No fair! Darn amniotic landlubbers upstagin' us fish!

A fish and a whale might look alike on the outside, but they have a very different inside story. You'll never find a fish with a blowhole or vestigal hip bones and a whale's skull is distinctly mamillian.

Do you think the whale has an interesting lineage for the same reason I do?

I don't know; you know much more about it. I just watch nature specials on TV.
Why do you think so? I might learn something new.

I find the whale lineage interesting because of how a land animal became larger than the largest fish. I watch nature specials on TV too but I also read books and use the internet.

I think this is a good time to post another prehistoric creature!

Eurhinodelphis - that litterally means "well nosed dolphin". I think that's a pretty good nose too. It may have hit or stabbed at its prey with its nose like a swordfish. It was discovered 1867.

Eurhinodelphis says something about evolution - evolution tends to create the same things again and again if the same adaption would work well in two completely unrelated animals. The Eurhinodelphis and the swordfish were both put in environments where a long nose was a benefit and so both develped a similar structure independently. This phenomena is called "convergent evolution". The rhino and the Triceratops could also be considered examples of convergent evolution.

Rodhocetus. A stop along the way

The thing that I like about WP, is that we're all so different, from each other. I like that, about each of us. It shows the lurkers, that we're not all the same, like characters that are portrayed, in the media.

at work we are moving offices.
First time in 30 years.
I have spent my entire 7 years that I have been working at this office.
Going to be interesting working in new office on the other side of town.

Other people are joining in! WOOOOOOOO!! ! Rodhocetus still has quite a few characteristic of a land animal. The cool thing is that it looks so strange and yet evolution took it this way. Cuteness does not make a creature more able to survive.

Should a seperate thread be made for posting pics of prehistoric animals? I'm not sure.

They're all at that awkward stage of evolution

How about our tubular ancestors?



The Cambrian- unforgettable.






Various species of Cambrian sponge-like animals, known as Archaeocyathans.

Counterclockwise, from the upper left corner, Coscinoptycta zunyiensis, Kotuyicyathus debilis, Tumuliolynthus musatovi, Beltanacyathus digitus, Fransuasaecyathus novus, Orbicyathus mongolicus, Center, Paranacyathus subartus.

(C) Stanton F. Fink

Last edited by zen_mistress on 02 Jul 2010, 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

Helicoprion

This was on my student homepage today. Now, what is missing...?

... I know, the actual GRADES THAT I GOT!

I swear that they do this deliberately to torture the students.