this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] finitebanjo@piefed.world 46 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

I think a more nuanced answer is better: "Only if you believe mammals and fish are not mutually exclusive."

[–] tyler@programming.dev 34 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I think the even more nuanced answer is that “fish” is not a scientific category so comparing it to mammals makes no sense.

[–] Neverclear@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Got it , got it... writes in margin

Ichthyology ≠ Science

[–] tyler@programming.dev 13 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish

In a break from the long tradition of grouping all fish into a single class (''Pisces''), modern phylogenetics views fish as a paraphyletic group.

Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic with respect to the excluded subgroups. In contrast, a monophyletic grouping (a clade) includes a common ancestor and all of its descendants.

This is in contrast to the class Mammalia which is a complete clade.

In other words, I could make up a branch of science called foobarthology that studies Jurassic raptors, whales, and the Rock Dove, but that doesn’t mean those things are related, or a ‘true’ scientific group of their own. It just means I put them together for some other reason, either cause it’s easier for the requirements of the job, or I wanted to, or many other reasons including historical.

[–] Neverclear@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

"Scientific group" is not the applicable term. "natural group" or "monophyletic group" or "clade", would be more... scientific

[–] tyler@programming.dev 3 points 4 weeks ago

Sure, and not calling them fish is even more scientific. From a grouping perspective, (which is how you refer to it) there is no such group.

[–] stevedice@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 weeks ago

lol no. Whales are clearly not foobars.

[–] F04118F@feddit.nl 1 points 4 weeks ago

So, fish are paraphyletic to whales?

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 12 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] finitebanjo@piefed.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

I'm flattered, honestly, that guy is my favorite treefucker.

[–] recklessengagement@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] i_love_FFT@jlai.lu 8 points 4 weeks ago

Humans living under the sea are fish.

Like people in Netherlands.