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NeilOffTheYoungOnes t1_is7gfgk wrote

I hate the phrase missing link. It's like every time you find one, you create two more missing links.

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Cleistheknees t1_is93i8h wrote

Not really. We are under no delusion that a complete phylogenetic tree will ever be mapped, there’s just too many species across too much time, and astronomically low chances of preservation, not to mention large stretches all over the tree where body plans simply aren’t preservable. It’s indeed an often misused term, but it’s a useful one in the right context, where you have a distinct intermediary (Darwin in fact used the term “intermediary links”, not “‘missing”) whose ancestors and descendants share morphology you can place on a continuum, with the intermediary somewhere in between.

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Jugales t1_is6i9y0 wrote

That's my great x287383 grandpa

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Escrilecs t1_is7jp4h wrote

Someone stop it before it morphs into a hatchery and starts spawming zerglings!

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glitchfactor t1_is7ss7r wrote

Science reporting can really stop using the term “missing link” any day now since no such thing exists.

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jcSquid t1_is7vzlq wrote

You mean the Spinal worm in the founding titan?

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Majorazarts t1_is7ti2t wrote

Eternal worm of Connecticut

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reddit_user13 t1_is85lja wrote

Based on a genetic analysis

Wut

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ScienceBill t1_is86sjc wrote

Clade analysis of living organisms belonging to these three groups suggested a common ancestor. The fossil find of an organism possessing traits of these groups places it within these clades.

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quacoms t1_is8k2h5 wrote

I can see the resemblance

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nickaterry t1_is7zqjv wrote

Frank Herbert been knew.

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n3w4cc01_1nt t1_is89ell wrote

I believe this statement is false since trump is an ancient worm.

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