for elucidating “an evolutionary conundrum that once puzzled Charles Darwin”.
There were many conundra in my life, some one solved, some one left to those who followed.
Mr Freidman has picked up one I left and run with it such a way that the out of lab doping team may be at his door in the morning to test him for the illegal use of scientific congnitive enhancers.
As Mr Cressey, writing of Mr Friedman’s research says: “Some evolutionary biologists, including Darwin, have argued that the trait evolved gradually over many generations of flatfish. If true, intermediate flatfish with partially offset eyes would once have lived — but no such fossils have ever been identified, giving succour to both creationists and those arguing for sudden jumps in evolution.”
In the course of his research Mr Friedman has found not one fossil transitional form, but three. One of the three was also a new species and a second found in London’s Natural History Museum was in the wrong taxonomic plaice, which he corrected.
In a plus ca change moment the report continues: “There are, as we sadly know, people who are uncomfortable about the idea of evolution,” says Per Ahlberg of Uppsala University in Sweden. “It’s always nice to demonstrate that even for major morphological transitions, the steps are in the evolutionary record.”
I had hoped such people would be extinct by now – what have you been doing in my absence?
I knew well the imperfection of the fossil record, and indeed devoted considerable space to the problem in the Origin of Species. Some still point hysterically to the absence of a lineage of intermediate forms morphing smoothly from one species into another. And when an intermediate form is discovered, cover their blushes by proclaiming two new gaps to fill, a fallacious argument I think we can call the cod of the gaps.
We can infer a great deal without intermediate fossils, but it is wonderful when they come to light. So what splendid work by Mr Friedman, I raise a glass of late night sherry in his direction.
Some of course will still prefer St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne’s explanation: that flatfish once had an eye which saw only mud, but moved that redundant orb to the upward side of their head the better to see and glory God.
All of which goes to suggest that even flatfish have a sole.
Floundering with emotion, I am forced to dab my eyes. It’s absolutely brill.
Fortunately, stupidity is not grounds for justifiable homicide in most civilized nations.
Perched on our moral high ground, those dace are behind us.
_ And when an intermediate form is discovered, cover their blushes by proclaiming two new gaps to fill._
squid pro quo
and indeed cod erat demonstradum
Bonus points to anyone who can pun with coelacanth.
Count me out – I coelacan’t…
Mr Brown, I refer you to the words of Stephen Maturin, the surgeon naturalist in Patrick O’Brian’s estimable books. “He who would make a pun would pick a pocket.”
I will not tell you which of his many excellent books this quote is in, but I must observe with some asperity that in the books Dr Maturin does not land on the Galapagos, but in the film he does and is prevented from collecting finches only by the appearance of a French ship of war which necesitates their release for – the clear implication is – for me to find.
Nonetheless Dr Maturin is a fine scientific literary creation, and I can do no more than urge anyone who has not to commence with the book Master and Commander, available at all good local bookshops. Who here could not but approve of a man on whom society frowned because he was dissecting a horse on the dining room table? A man who will dissect a squid in raging equatorial heat, bring a wombat aboard one of his Majesty’s frigates and cause the immortal line, ‘Jack, you have debauched my sloth!’ (HMS Surprise).
And after all this backing and filling, no, Mr Brown I have not yet managed to think up a pun on coelacanth.
Mr Darwin – I am delighted to learn that we have a common taste in literature!
Mr. Curry, please.
Mr.Darwin’s taste in literature is anything but common.
As to yours, I have no idea, – but judged on above you share Mr. Darwin’s taste in literature, so yours is not particularly common either?
Mr Mero, thank you. HMS Suprise is about to tack out of the line to protect the India convoy and given she is about to engage Admiral Linois’ 74, I cannot but imagine that Surprise (a mere 28, and an old one at that) will be cruelly mauled.
Having seen Capt Fitzroy put to extremes, especially in our rounding of Cape Horn, I am sure that the fictitous tar Captain Aubrey will survive to fight another day. The fact of 17 further volumes is something of a giveaway.
I recently had to coel acanthus patterned wallpaper. Do I get the prize, then?
The fact of 17 further volumes is something of a giveaway.
Stick with it Mr D! I’m sure you will enjoy the remainder of the tale.
Henry – I think it’s back to *pun*iversity with you…