Stegosaur Plates And Spikes For Looks Only

Science Daily ^ | 5/17/05 | University of California - Berkeley - Press Release

[doc30]

Yes, from the late Thag Simmons....

[Cold Heart]

You are getting technical while I jest a little.

OK here goes. You get vitamin D from sunlight, higher latitudes have less sunlight, lighter complexion absorbs more. Lower latitudes darker complexion protects from too much UV.

Man lost most of his hair when he manipulated the genes of blackberries to make the thorns smaller. And I just learned how to spell complexion correctly.

[hosepipe]

Berkeley - The bizarre plates and spikes that lined the backbones of the long-extinct stegosaurs were probably extreme examples of the often elaborate and colorful displays developed by animals to recognize fellow members of their species, according to an international team of paleontologists.

In Berkeley.. probably.. can assume astronomical credibility as fact.. All of evolution is based in that word.. probably.. This probably happened, that probably happened..

If a bullfrog had wings he probably wouldn't bump his ass.. Bumping ass in the San Fransisco area is a queer phenomenon in the first place.. and not looked down upon unless your the bumper.. And thats probably an accurate assessment..

[Jim_Curtis]

To: Jim_Curtis Name some "neutral traits". There are not a lot of superfluous features found in nature that I can see. In humans? Hair color. Detached versus attached earlobes. Eye color. Varying thickness of body hair.

So when scientists remark that a purpose of a trait is for identification, they are actually saying that they have no idea what the purpose of the trait is. Obviously, any trait, neutral or not, would make itself part of the animal's identification.

[Modernman]

Obviously, any trait, neutral or not, would make itself part of the animal's identification.

I think that's correct. Differing triceratopsoid horns might serve both defensive and identification purposes.

[Antonello]

Wisdom teeth.
The vermiform appendix.

Oh, and my uncle has 6 toes on one foot. All it does for him is make him have to buy extra wide shoes.

[varon]

Berkeley - The bizarre plates and spikes that lined the backbones of the long-extinct stegosaurs were probably extreme examples of the often elaborate and colorful displays developed by animals to recognize fellow members of their species, according to an international team of paleontologists

"Long-extinct" they say?

[Cold Heart]

Are you guys starting to give me homework?

[Blowtorch]

elaborate horny displays of stegosaurs...

Sounds like they were more evolved then we thought.

[Sacajaweau]

My coat isn't strong enough to serve as armour either but it gives me a better shot against a serious injury from a nasty dog pouncing on me.