On the Origin of Feces

[Kai]

I don't do bio, first of all.

Second of all, wtf, Ippie?

sry, just being dumb.  

you could at least contract out some bio madness to stick in the desert...
or make the ostriches a little more dinosaur-like.   scale up those razors that they stick on fighting cocks, or something...
the hardest part about that would be getting the tranquilizer gun.
well, maybe releasing it in a populated area without getting caught would be a little tricky, too....
but think of the headlines!

ok.
and now back to our regularly scheduled decent thread material...

1.  Kai is in charge of bio.  You'll have to get him onboard.

2.  I just take as an "I'm not laughing with you" kind of condescension.  Call me crazy.

I think it would be cool to design some imitation T. rex, but first I'd like to get the bigger issue of biodiversity under control. The more species we have to work with, the more weirdness we can engineer. And the prettier the planet will be.

I'd probably start with ostriches, btw. Get them some tails and teeth, then scale up the size, morph the wings into some claws...

[Elder Iptuous]

Did you mean you go out of your way to NOT antagonize, then?

yeah...

[tyrannosaurus vex]

So, Doc... something like this then?

[Doktor Howl]

YES.

[Requia ☣]

I don't do bio, first of all.

Second of all, wtf, Ippie?

sry, just being dumb.  

you could at least contract out some bio madness to stick in the desert...
or make the ostriches a little more dinosaur-like.   scale up those razors that they stick on fighting cocks, or something...
the hardest part about that would be getting the tranquilizer gun.
well, maybe releasing it in a populated area without getting caught would be a little tricky, too....
but think of the headlines!

ok.
and now back to our regularly scheduled decent thread material...

1.  Kai is in charge of bio.  You'll have to get him onboard.

2.  I just take as an "I'm not laughing with you" kind of condescension.  Call me crazy.

I think it would be cool to design some imitation T. rex, but first I'd like to get the bigger issue of biodiversity under control. The more species we have to work with, the more weirdness we can engineer. And the prettier the planet will be.

I'd probably start with ostriches, btw. Get them some tails and teeth, then scale up the size, morph the wings into some claws...

Make sure they can take riders, Enrico needs them for the ostrich cavalry.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Disappointment Ahead: This is not actually about poop.

I believe Evolution is true. But... I have a question.

Say there's a dinosaur. And millions of years later, his descendants are birds. Okay, fair enough. I can understand why a species might evolve the ability of flight. But why start down that path if it takes millions of years to get there? What practical advantage is a dinosaur with a few sparse feathers? What advantage in natural selection does an animal have that, for example, has evolved feathers but not flight? Do its genes just say "well, that's okay, we're going for flight and we'll get there eventually, for now all we have are feathers..." ?

Evolution is purposeless. There are no goals. There are traits that allow a species to survive and pass on their genes.

The trait may be very stupid. Take something like sexual selection. For example: female birds think a male bird with plumage that is so ridiculous that it actually makes them more vulnerable to predators are more attractive, so the entire species begins to take that trait on. Evolution is does not have an end-game or design. If you're really interested in learning more about this, check out The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins.

Yes, I realize someone may have already answered this. No, I don't care.


It's not stupid if it works. Take plumage. The obvious plumage makes them more vulnerable to predators, but if the male can survive with that obvious plumage it shows other traits good for avoiding predation.

It's also, as I said already, a matter of adaptation and exaptation.

If it doesn't work, it is stupid.

Then again, the species dies off so I guess the problem takes care of itself. Still, if it were intelligent then species wouldn't die out because of counter-productive adaptations.

[Kai]

If it doesn't work, then the lineage goes extinct yes.

Which means nothing we have today is in essence stupid, because it's worked. Because if it didn't work, it wouldn't be here.

It sounds tautological but it's really just simple.

[Brotep]

I lol every time I see this thread in the queue 

If it doesn't work, then the lineage goes extinct yes.

Which means nothing we have today is in essence stupid, because it's worked. Because if it didn't work, it wouldn't be here.

It sounds tautological but it's really just simple.

Yes...Of course, what works can and will change.

[Elder Iptuous]

If it doesn't work, then the lineage goes extinct yes.

Which means nothing we have today is in essence stupid, because it's worked. Because if it didn't work, it wouldn't be here.

It sounds tautological but it's really just simple.

that makes me wonder about domesticated animals.  particularly the ones that are so fucked up for meat purposes or aesthetic purposes, that they couldn't live without human care.  i guess that still counts, but it's certainly strange in that context....

[Brotep]

If it doesn't work, then the lineage goes extinct yes.

Which means nothing we have today is in essence stupid, because it's worked. Because if it didn't work, it wouldn't be here.

It sounds tautological but it's really just simple.

that makes me wonder about domesticated animals.  particularly the ones that are so fucked up for meat purposes or aesthetic purposes, that they couldn't live without human care.  i guess that still counts, but it's certainly strange in that context....

Well, that's just artificial selection, as opposed to natural selection.

[Elder Iptuous]

is there a difference in this context?
isn't it just another cooperative biological relationship?

i mean it's weird that having ridiculous amounts of wrinkles because some other species has selected it for you is technically an advantage, but nobody said nature makes sense....

[Brotep]

is there a difference in this context?
isn't it just another cooperative biological relationship?

i mean it's weird that having ridiculous amounts of wrinkles because some other species has selected it for you is technically an advantage, but nobody said nature makes sense....

haha, ok. I see what you mean

yes, breeding is pretty weird

[tyrannosaurus vex]

It should be noted that I received this in response to a comment I made about birds being dinosaurs:

lol.. thats like saying people are monkeys,...... although a close relation is obvious, closest living relative to the t-rex is a chicken. but how far back in your family do you go before your grandparents were monkeys?... lol.. i am no monkey.... and if dinosaurs evolved into birds, why do turtles and crocodiles not fly?... they have no wings,... hummmm evolution didnt work so well there... they are close relatives... if you really look at dna of any animal and any other they are similar,... we come from the same building blocks.. like legos,... then they classify the groups to seperate them more,,... so u are a monkey.,,... almost 90% monkey,... if i made you a ham sandwich that is 90% balogna you cant really say its a ham sandwich... you are a monkey, birds are dinosaurs,.. we are different,.. in the same family,.. the theory of evolution,.. is just that,... a theory that has been proven wrong,.. birds that migrate to the same place 1000s of miles would not have ever made the first journey, it would have been to far to fly, without knowing were to go, they are not suicidal,.. they would have stopped somewere nice that is alot closer,.. same with lots of other animals,.. so using correct terminology like the avian dinosuars, people are nothing more than domesticated monkeys,.. scientist test them all the time, and even tought them to use currentcy,.. they even figured out to stock up when u offer 2 for 1 specials,..and use the currentcy to pay for sex,.. so i find it totally awsome that you guys made it out of the tree,.. but im thinking person that realizes that monkeys are related to people,.. but i am no monkey,.. nor cave man,... it was proven that people lived at the same time as cave people in one area,.. not evolved from,... they lived at the same time,.. and competed for food and everything else,.. i wonder why they died out?... cause we eliminated the bigger stronger species by outsmarting them,.. not born from them,.. 2 different things, that are related,.. are not the same. hippos are not horses,.. although they are related,.. and related to the same prehistoric animal, not evolved from it,... yes i beleive in god,... and sciene,,, science is just fact,.. just because its fact, doesnot mean that it was not created,... the world is to complexly connected not to come from the plan,,.. it wouldnt have worked,... and i believe in aliens and bigfoot also,.. and think god made them also,..,, expanding universe grows constatly,.. no reason why,.. but it is fact,... it keeps being made,.. not evolved,.. what makes it?... it has nothing to evolve from..

[Kai]

If it doesn't work, then the lineage goes extinct yes.

Which means nothing we have today is in essence stupid, because it's worked. Because if it didn't work, it wouldn't be here.

It sounds tautological but it's really just simple.

that makes me wonder about domesticated animals.  particularly the ones that are so fucked up for meat purposes or aesthetic purposes, that they couldn't live without human care.  i guess that still counts, but it's certainly strange in that context....

Artificial selection is a different sort of process, although it works under the same principles. Domesticated animals and plants are obligate mutualists with humans, and probably would not be able to survive without us.

[Kai]

Vex, that quote is ridiculous. 

No biologist today doubts that birds are the last of the theropod lineage. The evidence is overwhelming.