Re: AAT Theory
Elaine Morgan (Elaine@desco.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 06 Oct 1995 13:47:36 GMT
In article: <44f34e$663@freenet.hut.fi> ailak@mail.freenet.hut.fi (Aila
Korhonen) writes:
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> No furless water mammal I know can walk on land:
Hippopotamus? Babyrusa?
It is not to be expected that after twenty million years or more
exclusively in water an aquatic mammal would retain the ability to walk
on land. The combination of hairlessness and land locomotion is found in
those who spend part of their time in water (wallowers) .
How many furless land mammals do you know that can walk on land?
Only the pachyderms and they carry strong evidence of being descended
from aquatic or semi-aquatic ancestors.
. Is there evidence that coat
disappeared before legs?
>
Presumably in the hippo, yes. The evidence from seals and walruses
suggests the possibility that the processes may have been simultaneous.
Fins are legs that are on the way out. A moulting elephant seal suggests
that its fur coat is on the way out and in the walrus it has more or less
vanished though it is still capable of locomotion on land.
Elaine
> Aila Korhonen in Finland ailak@mail.freenet.hut.fi
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Elaine Morgan
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