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Accidentally Correct Zoology

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MrMediaGuy2 Since: Jun, 2015
#1: Dec 11th 2024 at 2:56:30 PM

There seems to be a bit of confusion about Accidentally Correct Zoology and how it differs from Accidentally Correct Writing.

So, the purpose of ACZ was that a fictional species is created by a work, and a species resembling that is later discovered. (Like the rhinoceros beetle that resembles Dim seen in the page image, or the prehistoric mammal that resembles Scrat.)

But there's examples below where the species was already known, but not the behavior (like the Tarzan example; we knew gorillas existed when the film was made, but not that they fished for termites), and I don't know if that counts for ACZ.

And to make it worse, there's examples where the thing already was known at the time (like the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil example) but the creators didn't know, which just sounds redundant with Accidentally Correct Writing.

Should we just merge ACZ with ACW?

fullmusicbard from Virgil, Texas Since: Aug, 2022 Relationship Status: Married to the music
#2: Dec 11th 2024 at 6:53:13 PM

[up] in regards to the termite example - the first line in Accidentally Correct Zoology includes "abilities and qualities", which I see as including tool use. the point in ACZ is that the accuracy is discovered later, while in ACW it was just something the creators didn't know (that Tasmanian Devil example is certainly a cut). it's a reverse Science Marches On. to use another example from the page - I don't think it would be fair to label the platypus's color in that Phineas & Ferb show as ACW, because platypus biofloresence wasn't known at the time. the idea of "animal or animal trait is 'invented' for media but then revealed to exist by further research' is distinct enough for a trope, so I don't see a merge as necessary.

MorganWick (Elder Troper)
#3: Dec 12th 2024 at 3:04:36 AM

[up]That line was not on the original draft and seems to have been added unilaterally the following year by ~Naram-Sin.

This may be a case of a bad snowclone misleading people into thinking this is Accidentally Correct Writing For Zoology, and while it was proposed as a subtrope of it it appears to be more specific than what the name might imply.

Naram-Sin Since: May, 2009
#4: Dec 12th 2024 at 10:28:35 AM

I added the line because the Tarzan example was there.

fullmusicbard from Virgil, Texas Since: Aug, 2022 Relationship Status: Married to the music
#5: Dec 12th 2024 at 9:02:12 PM

[up][up] oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think to check the original draft. what should be done then?

NoName404 [Insert Title Here] from Sealand Since: May, 2024 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
[Insert Title Here]
#6: Dec 13th 2024 at 2:00:46 PM

I think the best thing to do would be making a wick check to see how the trope is used on other pages and then put it on TRS Queue if the trope seems to be misused.

"This forum signature likes to refer to itself, as well as to the fact that it likes to refer to itself"
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
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#7: Dec 13th 2024 at 2:05:11 PM

[up] What would we be checking? I can whip one up once I know.

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