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Kong Mirrors Real Evolutionary Paths

CNN has an article pointing out that, though King Kong may be a little extreme, evolutionary gigantism is not out of the question on remote islands. From the article: "There are many examples of what biologists term 'gigantism' on islands. These include the Komodo dragons, the world's largest lizards which can be 10 feet long or more and weigh up to 500 pounds. Found on a few small Indonesian islands, the Komodo -- a recorded man-eater -- is in many ways as chilling as anything from Jackson's fertile imagination."

3 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Hype time already? by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "King Kong," which is reigning at the North American box office this holiday season...

    CNN should label these articles as advertisements. There's little science in the story, and certainly nothing new.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  2. Jackson's imagination?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Uhhh, I hate to nitpick, but which creatures did Jackson imagine in this remake?

    Not to say that the man isn't creative or imaginative, but he certainly didn't invent King Kong...or the brachiosaurus or the T-Rex or the Velociraptor or or or....

  3. Fluff piece by ljhiller · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This reads like a story invented in a Reuters reporter's head, with out-of-context quotes from scientists to support his clever idea. Anybody that followed the homo floresiensis story knows that large mammals tend to become dwarves on islands.