How Fins Evolved into Hands and Feet

theatlantic.com

65 points·Hooke··9 comments

What's really odd is to think that there are some animals (whales) that had fins, evolved them into feet and then evolved them into fins - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_cetaceans#Early_e...

Amazing to think of all the mysteries that CRISPR can help solve.

It might be the best thing to have happened to us since the splitting of the atom.

Maybe you meant to or not, but I assume you're making a finny joke, and it's a pretty dark joke about humans and powerful new technologies.

This is a much clearer explanation than was given on Science Friday.

Oh... Fins not Finns. The story makes more sense now.

That was also my first thought.

"Some people remember where they were when they were told Kennedy had been assassinated, says Neil Shubin."

Somewhat of a crass introduction that needn't be there. Poor taste for wit.

Perhaps it poor taste, but I think that it's the "official" example of a flashbulb memory in USA. For example: https://source.wustl.edu/2003/11/flashbulb-memories-of-jfk-a...

Still an odd choice, not only from the perspective of taste but also from that of practical value. Kennedy died two years before I was born. According to Wikipedia, the median age in the US is about 40 right now.

Kennedy's assassination is declining (has declined?) in a significance as a flashbulb event; today, 9/11 would be a better choice - if we define better based solely on demographic relevance and ignore taste.

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