John_Stone Report This Comment Date: April 07, 2006 12:18AM
The fossils of the approximately 9-ft. long creature, which are, described in
two Nature articles released today, were dug out of rock formations on Ellesmere
Island, in the Canadian Arctic, by paleontologists from the University of
Chicago and several other institutions. Its nickame, for reasons that will
become clear, is "fishapod"; it's more formally called Tiktaalik
("large fish in stream," in the local Inuit language). Fishapod dates
from about 383 million years ago. It had the scales, teeth and gills of a fish,
but also a big, curved rib cage that suggests the creature had lungs as well.
The ribs interlock, moreover, unlike a fish's, implying they were able to bear
fishapod's weight—an unnecessary trait in a fish. It had a neck—most
unfishlike. And, most surprising of all, its pectoral fins included bones that
look like nothing less than a primitive wrist and fingers.
[
www.time.com]
[
www.nature.com]
It also kicks Intelligent Designers asses.
Anonymous Report This Comment Date: April 07, 2006 12:41AM
That article on the Time website is one of the most unprofessionally written
pieces I have seen in a long time. All the author had to add at the end was a
Simpsons "Ha ha!" to top it off. Such high school attitude writing
appearing in Time is pretty sad.
fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: April 07, 2006 09:45PM
he's a mean little crocfish
90130_ Report This Comment Date: April 07, 2006 11:39PM
Bet he would have been great on the grill, with lemon and some macadamia nut
butter.
90130_ Report This Comment Date: April 10, 2006 05:51AM
Anon@114192, having read that same article, I would agree with you. But that's
just the status quo for Time and its writers. What would have been an
interesting science story, turned into a secular attack on religion and
intellegient design.