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The Dolphin With Leftover Legs
ectotherm writes "Japanese scientists have captured a dolphin with vestigial legs. Evidence, it would seem, of a land-dwelling past and observable evolution." From the article: "Fishermen captured the four-finned dolphin alive off the coast of Wakayama prefecture (state) in western Japan on Oct. 28, and alerted the nearby Taiji Whaling Museum, according to museum director Katsuki Hayashi. Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared. Whale and dolphin fetuses also show signs of hind protrusions but these generally disappear before birth."
On this article. You can't. You can be funny or informative. Let the challenge begin NOW...
I read the article, and those aren't legs, they're fins.
I will only believe that a dolphin has legs when it walks up to me and shakes my hand.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
... the Japanese killed the rare ocean dwelling animal in order to sell four flipper dolphin medicine and magical flipper medallions to the rich.
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
The key difference is that us Westerners kill cows for food and other products and we at least try to pretend we're humane about it with our stun-bolts and such. I'd rather the food I eat be borne out of as little pain and suffering as possible. Our methods may not be perfect but at least there's some reasonable purpose behind slaughtering cows and pigs. We don't mindlessly spear them in fields as part of some outdated display of self-doubted masculinity. To compare the two for purposes of apology is asinine.
I don't believe dolphins are magical animals. If you want to eat dolphin, fine, just try to sustain the population and do it humanely. But if you want to butcher thousands of them just to show how dominant you are or because 'granddaddy did it' then you need to get the fuck over yourselves and start acting like you're in the 21st century.
Why is it that when a small child mindlessly tortures animals we say that it is a disturbing indicator of sociopathic behaviour, yet when a group of grown adults do it we are supposed to celebrate their culture?
It's fucking bullshit.
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
Why can't I do both? Why can't I criticise the repugnant aspects of my own culture as well criticising the repugnant aspects of others?
Oh I see, it isn't about giving criticism where it's due, it's about dodging it. Yeah, funny that.
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
That's ludicrously quixotic.
To imply that someone is a hypocrite because they are against mindlessly killing intelligent beings capable of feeling pain and suffering but would also wash their hands of harmful bacteria based on the platform that 'all life is sacred' is ridiculous.
While I agree that too much stock is put in 'cute' animals by anti-cruelty organisations, the absolutist 'kill all or nothing' stance you propose is illogical, unhelpful and only serves to distract from the real acts of barbarism, such as the one discussed here.
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
a bottlenose dolphin captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of back legs
Or the extra set of fins could simply mean dolphins had an extra set of fins! What idiot has to turn everything into legs? Next they'll find a rock with protrusions and there will be the proof that rocks once walked the earth.
Yeah, I respect this notion at the end of my second paragraph here, but you still get my point if you substitute 'all life is sacred' with 'you shouldn't kill anything' in the original post.
It goes without saying that hunting an animal for food and treating it was reverence and respect is far removed from butchering loads of dolphins just for the hell of it.
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?