this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
 
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[–] rockerface@lemmy.cafe 39 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

So are dragons. Unless they don't have front legs, but they they're wyverns.

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Griffins an a few other mythical creatures would be too. Pegasus may or may not. The original was sired by Poseidon and itself was a god, but its since become a generic name for winged horses so that leaves room for debate.

Yes I do enjoy fiction taxonomy, why do ask?

[–] Redjard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Angels in most renditions have bird wings (i.e. arms) growing from their backs in addition to normal arms and legs.

[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

B̵̠̿̓̄͋̿͛̃͛̍͘͠Ē̵͎̙̹͖̪̼̖̂̄͆̀̀̆͠ ̸̧̖̪͉̪̘̳̫̝͌͋Ņ̵̟̰͉͖͇̩̾̀̔̌̎̒͜O̷͚̰̩̲͈͗̌̒͒̑͊͐͜͝T̸̢̲̤̥͇̣̙̩͛́ ̵̧̝͉̻̿͆͂̊́̋͑Ą̵͖̻̳̒́͗͒͋̍̓̿̃̍͛F̴͕̝̝̈͆̓͌̀͛̓̈́͝͠Ṛ̴̨͇̲͆̀͛͗̈́͗ͅẠ̵͙̝̦͙͕̦̠͗͒͜͜ͅI̴͎̖̿͛̿̿̐̅͆̄̈́̕͜͠D̸͙̫̼͍̪̣̲̩̋̌͐̐́̀ ̶̹̟̥̑̈̍̕͘

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

AAAAA HEEEELP I'M COVERED IN EYES

[–] Ceruleum@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

No ms potato

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Depends on the wings. If they're back mounted, I'm not sure they count. They don't count for insects. We don't say flies have 8 limbs.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

They could be extensions of the scapula. This would make the renditions where pegasus appears to be galloping while flying more accurate.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

“Almost all” means that if you pull six-legged animals names outnof a hat you’re nearly guaranteed to find an insect. Doesn’t mean you can’t pull the non-insect first try, and doesn’t mean that centaurs must be insects.

[–] DeathsEmbrace@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

This bias is to biology only found in our experience. What if theres an alien physiology that ruins this argument.

[–] _stranger_@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

I'd argue centaur world is its own tree of life until proof exists that earth life and centaur world life had a common ancestor.

[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago

sigh Okay scientist, you can look at my dragon dick

... For science

"Wait, what's the mould for?"

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago
[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

No alien species counts as an animal taxinomically. A similar extraterrestrial ecosystem would likely result in reclassifications to add planet of greatest ancestral origin. Life seeders would make taxonomy even harder.

[–] ryedaft@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

They'd still be an arthropod even if they weren't a species of insect. So I guess the question is whether all six-legged arthropods have ovipositors. Sounds likely.

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

'Almost all' makes me wonder about what the other ones are

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
[–] tacosanonymous@mander.xyz 4 points 2 weeks ago

You mean, “sea bugs?”

[–] itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Don't most of them have 8 or more limbs?

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yes, most do. The question wasn't about most.

[–] c04511234@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Springtails?

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 weeks ago

This feels like a targeted attack on parts of booktok. Has there been a counter-offensive, and where is the popcorn?

[–] Tomassci@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago

Convergent evolution is a lie! Don't believe Big Evolution Department!