Re: Tears for fears. Was Re: Guide for anti-AATers

jamesb@hgu.mrc.ac.uk
16 Oct 1995 15:37:14 GMT

bbur@wpo.nerc.ac.uk (Bill Burnett) wrote:

>Marine reptiles at least (e.g. Galapogos marine iguanas, turtles) shed tears
>as a salt excretion mechanism. It has nothing to do with emotion. I suspect
>the same is true of seabirds and marine mammals.

This is all true, but seabirds and whatnot shed tears when they are
fighting as well as after eating lots of fish. I'm saying that the
tear-excretion route evolves to flush out salt at first, then it can be
used to flush out breakdown products of stress-related hormones.

This is the strongest argument in favour of AAT as far as I am concerned.

James Borrett.