Now, now. You must be trying to get a rise out of me. Crinoids were echinoderms, and therefore have no backbones from which we could observe vertabrae. Their stalks were made up of hundreds of thin calcium carbonate disks that protected the fibrous stalkage within, and though bones are also a calcium product, the crinoid stem was more akin to a clam's shell than any sort of skeletal spinal unit.
I like the skull, though. My longtime girlfriend in Austin, Connie D, was known as "The Crinoid" by Howard the Duck. He, of course, mispronounced the name with a short "i." Your depiction doesn't quite do her justice, though.
Doctor (if in fact you are such) - I see you have fallen victim to revisionist biological dogma. There are many out there like you, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. You are free to go on believing that crinoids were not once as intelligent as humans and capable of walking on land as well as swimming in water. Just continue spouting the party line and you'll go far in the science fiction that is today's science. I, my friend, have evidence to the contrary.
By your admission of mobile crinoids and their planetary dominance, I see you adhere to the Lovecraftian dogma of Cthulu and Nyarlathothep. Can't say I blame you. Considering the present political and economic climate, a good Elder God might come in quite handy right about now. Ia! Shub-Niggurath!
Paleozoic crinoid vertebrae are fairly common,
Now, now. You must be trying to get a rise out of me. Crinoids were echinoderms, and therefore have no backbones from which we could observe vertabrae. Their stalks were made up of hundreds of thin calcium carbonate disks that protected the fibrous stalkage within, and though bones are also a calcium product, the crinoid stem was more akin to a clam's shell than any sort of skeletal spinal unit.
ReplyDeleteI like the skull, though. My longtime girlfriend in Austin, Connie D, was known as "The Crinoid" by Howard the Duck. He, of course, mispronounced the name with a short "i." Your depiction doesn't quite do her justice, though.
Doctor (if in fact you are such) - I see you have fallen victim to revisionist biological dogma. There are many out there like you, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. You are free to go on believing that crinoids were not once as intelligent as humans and capable of walking on land as well as swimming in water. Just continue spouting the party line and you'll go far in the science fiction that is today's science. I, my friend, have evidence to the contrary.
ReplyDeleteBy your admission of mobile crinoids and their planetary dominance, I see you adhere to the Lovecraftian dogma of Cthulu and Nyarlathothep. Can't say I blame you. Considering the present political and economic climate, a good Elder God might come in quite handy right about now. Ia! Shub-Niggurath!
ReplyDeletePh'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteYes, he is coming...
ReplyDelete