- How come the coleostracans are the only tentaclostome species to internalize their shell? It would be extremely useful as internal support for the entire group, and we know from the opisthopterans that they can even extend part of their skeleton into their limbs for extra support.
- That's evolution for you. Just because you can imagine a helpful adaptation for a specific situation doesn't necessarily mean that the pertinent mutation is going to develop. Take the human body, for example: it would be totally nice if the blood vessels for our retinae ran along the outer surface rather than the inner, or if the drainage hole for our sinuses were located on the bottom rather than the top. Evolution is like a card game: you have to play whatever hand the Random Number God decides to deal you.
- Wouldn't it make sense for at least some of the osteopod species to reduce some of their legs, if not get rid of them completely? Limbs are energetically expensive, especially for large animals.
- This has been technically done with the onychodonts and later the allobrachids, who have become hexapedal instead of octopedal by way of centaurism.
- Besides, Biblaridion has already explained that while fewer limbs is more energy efficient, it is also less structurally stable.
- Also, this is a planet with slightly less gravity than on Earth and thus might make creatures with lesser legs be prone to toppling over.
- As of episodes 13 and 14, some species have indeed become quadrupedal.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Headscratchers/AlienBiospheres
FollowingHeadscratchers / Alien Biospheres
Go To
