The Spork, is it a possible evolutionary link?

Question

For years, scientists have been debating whether or not there is actually any evolutionary relationship between the Spoon and the Fork.

Then, a watershed moment in science happened. The Spork was discovered.

It happened in a fast food establishment in the 50's.

There were earlier tales of a hybrid Spoon/Fork, but this was the first time that one was sedated and placed in captivity where scientists could study it first hand.

Before this event, most mainstream scientists merely put the similarities betwix the Spoon and Fork as a case of convergent evolution.

Critics pointed out that they could not be related due to the drastic differences between the heads. While, they did concede that the handle (or thorax) of the Spoon and Fork was essentially identical, they pointed out that bats and birds both have wings, yet no one would say they are directly related.

One of the moments that seemed to put the nail in the coffin for the Spoon/Fork theory was the Scopes Monkey Trial.

The prosecution, in an effort to refute evolution, put a spoon inside of a locked box with a steak. They reasoned that if evolution were true, the spoon would evolve prongs to better pick up the meat.

After one year, they unlocked the box, and found an unchanged spoon. Scopes was found guilty of teaching a faulty theory in school and was sentenced to hang.

This was before the discovery of the Spork and DNA evidence. The sequencing of the Spoon, Spork, and Fork genomes have just recently been finished and it seems to confirm what scientists have thought since the Spork's discovery. The Spoon, Spork, and Fork are all related.

The Spoon came onto the scene first. It's shape was ideal for picking up cereal and ice cream (foods that appear in a Spoon's natural habitat).

But then, something happened. Due to a possible continental drift, or lowered sea levels, a land bridge formed connecting Alaska to Siberia and the Spoon was introduced the harder foods. These could no longer be picked up as well by the smooth surface of the spoon. So the Spoon evolved tiny fangs and became capable of picking up more objects (although they started to loose the ability to lift up soup). These fangs might have also served as a way to attract potential mates.

They soon became so long that the head lost all resemblance to the Spoon and became a seperate species unable to mate with other Spoons. They became Forks.

Now that this question has been answered, it begs us to ask another one.

What about the knife?

Answer 1

much like the fork originated from the same ancestors as the spoon, and forks lost their round heads but gained the usage of evolved fangs, the knife evolved from non-fang gened spoons. they lost their heads gradually over time, and many spoons with smaller heads still exist in areas where tea is served frequently, or small measuring takes place. but, once the small headed spoons began loosing heads entirely, they had a very hard time performing the spoonlike tasks that were still encoded in their dna, and began searching for mates with those genetics. the only way to search was to just use their blunt edges to push through things cutting them up, typically meats, and large vegetables. the knife species has varied a lot since then, and still searches for those that carry its ancestors traits, which is why you dont often see knives alone, usually they are around spoons and forks.

Answer 2

Ya see, according to the top then scientists in the world, the spork has always been around since the evolution of man. It has been said that the remains of these sporks were found in the western part of Africa, Ogwugu, which is now called Benin. They have infact been around since 2 000 000 years before Christ.
In regards to the relationship between the fork and the spoon, there has been no known similarities between them. That is, they aren't linked at all. They don't know how sporks came about, but, spoons and forks have no evolutionary links whatsoever.

Answer 3

Ha ha ha ha!

I actually wrote a paper on Interspecific Competition in the Utensilidae. Unfortunately, no members of the Sporkus genus were available for comparison in the exercise.

I wonder if the Spork adaptation is a development of the Spoonus genus through convergent evolution shaped by selective pressure similar to that which allowed the Forka genus to develop it's food spearing tines?

I think we need to get some molecular biologists on this one. Are the Utensilidae a monophyletic group? Cladograms must be built!! We need more funding!!!

Answer 4

The spork is obviously connected with the spurtle, or the stirring stick of the Scottish.

Answer 5

I believe! I believe!

My only concern is this: how do you explain those spoon/straws at the 7-11 Slurpy machine?

Answer 6

It could sneakily become a knork or a fife or even a spoof! Imagine!!

Answer 7

Someone must be VERY bored!

Answer 8

From where did you regurgitate THAT?
.