When I play with my cat, I always take the time to inspect her dewclaws, just because it's fascinating to think "this is where Lucky's thumb would be, if she had thumbs." It's thrilling to think that this small furry person -- who wakes me every morning by pricking me with her claws until I'm too annoyed to remain in bed -- is in fact my cousin many-many-many-many times removed.
Dogs also have dewclaws; and if you inspect a bat's wings, you can't help noticing how the long splayed-out support bones resemble the fingers of the human hand.
And finally, the fossil record tells us that the ancient species which was the first horse had toes much like our own; the bones have since fused together into the hoof of the modern horse.
I think this is all rather wonderful. So why do the anti-evolution types cringe at the thought of being related to other mammals -- including our closest relatives, the great apes?
2007-05-05
14:56:19
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