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Post by lionking on Feb 11, 2011 4:36:16 GMT -4
Scientists find ancient snake with hidden legs Washington, Feb 8, (PTI) : www.deccanherald.com/content/135947/scientists-find-ancient-snake-hidden.htmlsee pic: dearkitty.blogsome.com/2011/02/07/fossil-snake-had-legs/I have always been with the theory that legend had its basis in reality. My grandmother used to tell me a fantasy story about King Solomon and the snake. It goes that the snakes had limbs and once the King Solomon wanted to burn the bushes becasue it grew too much , so he called on the animals to leave the bush. Each type of animals went with its group, but one snake. She went in and out of her house saying that she can't leave her house. When the bushes were burnt, the fire burnt her limbs. She came to King Solomon. When she came, he told her didn't I tell you to leave with the animals? she said yes but I wanted to stay in my home, and like you made me loose my limbs you should create me limbs. He told her I don't want.. and she got furious and said : then, I will have authority over man to bite him one bite in his ankle, and he would die. He told her: and I will give man authority over you ..if he hits you with a rod of mulberry and you would die instantly. Did the ancient ancestors of my grandmother see some sort of -maybe- now- extinct snake that had legs?? and how old is this story?? was it very ancient adn then attributed to King Solomon?? It is always interesting to me to look at mythologic stories.. it might be out of the imagination ofpeople to put legs to snakes, but it might be out of their reality.. If you have similar stories that you think have a relation to truth, please put them..
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Post by Jason Thompson on Feb 11, 2011 8:38:47 GMT -4
Did the ancient ancestors of my grandmother see some sort of -maybe- now- extinct snake that had legs?? No, they probably saw a few lizards. It is obvious to all but the most heavily myopic that snakes bear a striking resemblance to lizards, and that lizards exist in various shapes and sizes, with legs of all sizes. The idea that snakes are lizards that have lost their legs is something that occurs to a lot of people very early on. It doesn't need technology, fossils, radioisotope dating or knowledge of evolution to make the link (I know, I was thinking of them in terms of legless lizards when I was still in primary school!), nor does it require seeing some 'missing link' that no longer exists.
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Post by lionking on Feb 11, 2011 9:47:50 GMT -4
Did the ancient ancestors of my grandmother see some sort of -maybe- now- extinct snake that had legs?? No, they probably saw a few lizards. It is obvious to all but the most heavily myopic that snakes bear a striking resemblance to lizards, and that lizards exist in various shapes and sizes, with legs of all sizes. The idea that snakes are lizards that have lost their legs is something that occurs to a lot of people very early on. It doesn't need technology, fossils, radioisotope dating or knowledge of evolution to make the link (I know, I was thinking of them in terms of legless lizards when I was still in primary school!), nor does it require seeing some 'missing link' that no longer exists. I didn't say it requires it..I said it is just a possibility since there is a theory that legends are based on real stories, a theory that might or might not be true
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Post by Jason Thompson on Feb 11, 2011 10:57:51 GMT -4
I didn't say it requires it..I said it is just a possibility since there is a theory that legends are based on real stories, a theory that might or might not be true That's a hypothesis, not a theory. The possibility you raised of some currently unknown, or now extinct, 'snake with legs' inspiring the story just isn't necessary at all. The 'snake with legs' could be pretty much any lizard. But then you always like to propose some alternative suggestion than the most likely one, don't you, lionking?
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Post by echnaton on Feb 11, 2011 15:38:52 GMT -4
King Salomon is likely a mythological figure in the first place Certainly the biblical accounts of his kingdom and vast wealth are not founded in archeological discovery. So attributing a myth to a myth doesn't show much promise in revealing any truth about nature. Besides reports of snakes with legs are of creatures that existed 95 million years ago, hardly a time in which humans could have seen them.
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Post by lionking on Feb 11, 2011 15:44:38 GMT -4
I didn't say it requires it..I said it is just a possibility since there is a theory that legends are based on real stories, a theory that might or might not be true That's a hypothesis, not a theory. The possibility you raised of some currently unknown, or now extinct, 'snake with legs' inspiring the story just isn't necessary at all. The 'snake with legs' could be pretty much any lizard. But then you always like to propose some alternative suggestion than the most likely one, don't you, lionking? hypothesis name it as you wish. the Gilgamesh flood myth is based, as I read , on a flood tha thappened in Iraq.. the people didn't know to explain it so they said it is Godly or so... back to the story, you suggest that they thaught that lizards became snakes?? lizards existed with snakes at tht time echnaton I amsuggesting that maybe they saw snakes with legs and they were few species at that time that later got extinct.. today the scientists explore species that they thaught got extinct.. it doesn't have to do with King Solomon being for real or not, but the whole story together about the snake
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Post by lionking on Feb 11, 2011 15:58:19 GMT -4
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Post by Jason Thompson on Feb 11, 2011 16:56:20 GMT -4
back to the story, you suggest that they thaught that lizards became snakes?? lizards existed with snakes at tht time No, I am not suggesting they thought lizards became snakes, but that one type of lizard some time in the past lost its legs to become a snake. Lizards exist in all sorts of varieties, so why not a legless one? And then why not invent a tale of how it lost those legs? The resemblance between snakes and lizards is clear. As I have pointed out already, even small children can make that connection, so why is that not enough for you? Your response is as flawed as those who deny humans evolution by saying we can't have come from apes because apes still exist. You're just not getting it.
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Post by echnaton on Feb 11, 2011 18:09:18 GMT -4
I amsuggesting that maybe they saw snakes with legs and they were few species at that time that later got extinct..
Speculate all you want.
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Post by PhantomWolf on Feb 12, 2011 0:06:54 GMT -4
back to the story, you suggest that they thaught that lizards became snakes?? lizards existed with snakes at tht time No, I am not suggesting they thought lizards became snakes, but that one type of lizard some time in the past lost its legs to become a snake. Lizards exist in all sorts of varieties, so why not a legless one? And then why not invent a tale of how it lost those legs? There are already many legless lizards
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Post by twik on Feb 12, 2011 13:08:34 GMT -4
It's only my own speculation, but I'd figure that the ancients thought about it in sort of the same terms science does now: "Most animals have legs. Snakes have no legs. Maybe they used to have them, and then lost them somehow."
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Post by grashtel on Feb 13, 2011 18:34:37 GMT -4
It's only my own speculation, but I'd figure that the ancients thought about it in sort of the same terms science does now: "Most animals have legs. Snakes have no legs. Maybe they used to have them, and then lost them somehow." Particularly as some lizards (eg skinks) look an awful lot like snakes except that they have legs.
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Post by twik on Feb 14, 2011 11:59:16 GMT -4
Oh, and also there are occasional atavistic throwbacks that show legs. Even whales are occasionally seen with small vestigial legs.
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Post by Data Cable on Feb 15, 2011 2:14:40 GMT -4
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Post by echnaton on Feb 15, 2011 9:56:19 GMT -4
From the article in Science Daily
I can't tell you the number of heated debates I have personal been in over this very subject which became arguments that led to fisticuffs. ;D
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