chambabysitter1
New Member
Whiter do you have biology in school ? by the way: reptiles evolve from amphibians
I think you might be missing the point of the post above.
feeding the four horned (male)
- Thread starter neonate
- Start date
I think you might be missing the point of the post above.
eisentrauti
Avid Member
why ? my english isn't good enough to write here douzens of lines
merumontanus
Avid Member
Hey Benny,
I think you raise an important point. On the other hand, what I've been trying to say all along is that chameleons could have evolved from dirt, but their diverse adaptations are not necessarily attributable to their ancestors.
To emphasize my point, I pose the following question: If a four-horned chameleon is related to fish because it has a "fin", does that make dolphins fish as well? Clearly, no. Dolphins are as far from fish as any other mammal-- the only characteristics they share is their aquatic nature and "fish-like" fins. Everything else is as distant as you can imagine. Are bats closely related to birds because they have wings? Not even close. Is the development of amniotes crucial to the evolution of amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds? Certainly, but evolution is not a linear process and deserves more eloquence than "we come from monkeys."
Thanks for your input.
Fabián
Note: Just to be sure... chameleons did not evolve from dirt
eisentrauti
Avid Member
To come back to the biological questions: If something looks nearly the same like the fins of fish or dolphins it doesn't mean that they are close related.
It's called analogy. Another example are the build of slow worms and snakes.
The fins of quadricornis or montium are probably good for their thermoregulation or just that they look bigger. Maybe some herpetologists here knew the exact usage for them
It's called analogy. Another example are the build of slow worms and snakes.
The fins of quadricornis or montium are probably good for their thermoregulation or just that they look bigger. Maybe some herpetologists here knew the exact usage for them
neonate
New Member
This is what id like to know im very intrested to find out the exact reason why they have them?? I was only going of something i read somewhere. Didnt mean to start a fight.
eisentrauti
Avid Member
Some dinosaurs have had probably some to regulate their body temperature. That's why I could imagine that they had them for this purpose
Trace
Captain Awesome
Aren't quadricornis not only found at high altitudes, but also very high in the canopy? The development of larger fins would make sense for thermoregulation purposes if they are from colder areas. Perhaps too, the fins evolved to mimic the plants they live on?
Pure speculation on my part.
Trace
Pure speculation on my part.
Trace
merumontanus
Avid Member
Indeed. That is exactly my point. We could find countless examples of these seemingly-related characteristics in complex organisms, but it really all comes down to language, and that we ourselves have given the name of "fin" to a chameleon's dorsal or caudal crest. But I think that point is understood, so I will refrain from beating a dead horse
The role of thermoregulation on quadricornis, montium, deremensis and even cristatus, and its relationship to the animals' adaptations (prominently laterally-compressed bodies and dorsal projections) based on their behavior, ecology and habitat is probably the best and most logical answer to this question. It would be interesting to see how this relates to the behavior of males versus females. Do females and juveniles bask for longer periods of time as they possess less prominent crests compared to adult males, and are thus less effective in reaching optimum temperatures in the same amount of time?
Fabián
jojackson
New Member
Who says its dorsal crest is vestigial ? I expect rather it has a thermoregulation function and is an adaption that hasnt required change rather than something it's 'in the process of losing' .
Id be intrerested in Reading any Scientific Data on the species. It seems infact very little is known about them as yet.
The tail 'fin', crest, beard, and horns of C. quadricornis are most likely the results of sexual selection - i.e., used to attract females or (more likely) to intimidate rival males. They are not in any way 'vestigial' or from their fish ancestors or used for swimming, and I'm happy to say we know quite a bit about the evolution of chameleons
dj special k
New Member
Wow... all this was a really big trip to read after just waking up. It got my mind going and a good jump start my day of studying ahead of me.
Snarfit
New Member
I tend to agree with DJ Special K - very interesting dialogue. Evolution is one of my very favorite subjects, and the knowledge dropped here was impressive once we got finished with the hostility. No need for it, folks. Even when you're right, if you make your point like a D-bag, you just look like a smart d-bag...
Plenty of people are willing to learn and able to accept new ways pf looking at the world if they are not pummeled for being wrong. And I got news for ya - we're ALL wrong about plenty of things.
Be nice. It's easy, and people tend to listen when they feel they are at least being respected as humans.
Plenty of people are willing to learn and able to accept new ways pf looking at the world if they are not pummeled for being wrong. And I got news for ya - we're ALL wrong about plenty of things.
Be nice. It's easy, and people tend to listen when they feel they are at least being respected as humans.
neonate
New Member
Thank you!!!!!I tend to agree with DJ Special K - very interesting dialogue. Evolution is one of my very favorite subjects, and the knowledge dropped here was impressive once we got finished with the hostility. No need for it, folks. Even when you're right, if you make your point like a D-bag, you just look like a smart d-bag...
Plenty of people are willing to learn and able to accept new ways pf looking at the world if they are not pummeled for being wrong. And I got news for ya - we're ALL wrong about plenty of things.
Be nice. It's easy, and people tend to listen when they feel they are at least being respected as humans.
