The Definition and Description of a "Transitional"

this is some nice circular logic here, and it needs to be pointed out.why are feathers not a defining characteristic of a bird? no other animal today has them. do reptiles have them? mammals? amphibians? fish? if you ask any biologist the single most defining feature of a bird what will they say?now, according to you:

quote:

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A transitional is a form that possesses character states that are part way between two separate taxa, &/or a mix of discrete characters between two taxa.

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for something to be partway between a bird and something else, wouldn't it have to feathers? why should that rule out feathers as a defining feature? it is, afterall, what we're looking for.but you can't say it's not a defining characteristic of a bird because the transitional form that led up to birds also had feathers. that just makes no sense.

i can probably take photograph and draw better than you can. do i have more information than you?these terms are simply preposterious, you should know better.and a cat can walk, jump, and climb BETTER than a mudskipper. but i bet a mudskipper can swim better than a cat.

ok. how about this one. i like cold weather. so not only can i do well in, say a puerto rican environment, maybe i can do well in an alaskan one as well, where as you might not enjoy freezing your behind off. do i have more information than you?and before you say that's not a genetic difference, it is: my family is all from northern countries. i'm willing to get i have much thicker body hair than you do, among other differences.

i used to be fluent in american sign language. i know of lots of chimps that use it to communicate. [qs]and I see no fur on my body[qs] see my above post.

so you're saying that i am genetically no different than you?see, i'm not what you would call genetically adapted for warm weather. my nose is structured to keep heat in, i have very pale skin, and thick body hair. i'm build large and stocky, because it keeps heat in.now, i was born in florida. i've lived here my entire life. warm weather doesn't bother me. you and i live in the same climate, if you still live in puerto rico. and i bet we've been alive about the same amount of time.now, stick us in canada in february, and see who adapts better.i am do equally or slightly worse than you in one climate, and a lot better in another. since i've now ruled adapting to my surroundings, seeing as how i've never lived in a cold climate, and we're operating strictly on a genetic basis, do i have more information than you?This message has been edited by Arachnophilia, 12-04-2004 10:58 PM