(November 9, 2012 at 1:36 am)Godschild Wrote:(November 8, 2012 at 10:38 pm)Stimbo Wrote: No, this is not some satanic mutant, and yes those are vestigial legs; evolutionary remnants from a full legged ancestor.
I can't wait to see that thing get up and run, it should be spectacular.
How about swimming:
Pachyrachis problematicus Wrote:Pachyrhachis problematicus is a snake with well-developed hind limbs known from two specimens from the Cenomanian of the Middle East. [. . .] Confirmed morphology best supports the phylogenetic hypothesis that Pachyrhachis is a basal macrostomatan snake. Limb retention in a basal macrostomatan snake implies that loss of hind limbs occurred multiple times within Serpentes.
Not enough? Well, how about:
Haasiophis terrasanctus
Eupodophis descouensi
Najash rionegrina
It's interesting, isn't it, that your favourite story hinges on a serpent with legs that becomes cursed with crawling on its belly, yet when shown known evolutionary evidence of exactly that, suddenly it becomes a problem for you. One might almost conclude that your belief isn't quite as strong as you seem to want to think.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
