top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 4 points 6 hours ago

I'm studying insects at the moment and came across a couple of cracking beetles:

  • source
  • [–] 2 points 6 hours ago

    Peacock - not a vegetable.

  • source
  • [–] 4 points 15 hours ago

    Oh yes look at this bird with its mostly white plumage, except for the males during the mating season. What should I call it, I know I shall call it the black-headed gull. A fitting name. Hopefully we don't come across a different gull with a black head year round, or that name is going to be stupid, but I'm sure that won't happen.

  • source
  • [–] 19 points 1 day ago (2 children)
  • [–] 24 points 1 day ago (4 children)

    So you are telling me that Mayfly may or may not fly?

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 75 points 2 days ago (7 children)

    Not sure what the original source of this was, other than an old tumblr post

  • source
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • load more comments (5 replies)
    [–] 76 points 2 days ago* (43 children)

    A mountain goat is a goat, it's just not in genus Capra.

    Fun trip and interesting trip through taxonomy, though, in addition to the gags. A collection of wikipedia articles would be a nice companion.

  • source
  • hideshow 43 child comments
  • [–] 45 points 2 days ago* (38 children)

    it's just not in genus Capra

    That's definitionally what goats are. It's close, being in the same subfamily, but then so are sheep.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 38 child comments
  • Common names of animals often describe phenotype not genotype. If it looks like a ducks, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's common name is duck. There are lots of animals with common names grouping them by physical characteristics and ecological niche rather than genetic relationship, especially animals named longed before we had any real scientific study of their genetics.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 41 points 2 days ago (36 children)

    I think words like "goat" should have a generic and unstudied applicability: if it looks like a goat, and acts like a goat, it's a goat.

    A mountain goat looks like a goat and acts like a goat, therefore it is a goat.

    A sheep neither looks like a goat, nor acts like a goat, therefore it is not a goat.

    All semantics, of course. If you want to understand goat to mean "member of genus Capra", you certainly can. If you want me to make goat mean that, you're out of luck.

    I'm willing to grant you the distinctions between goats and true goats, in deference to the science of biology. I am not a monster.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 36 child comments
  • [–] 32 points 2 days ago (14 children)

    I'm willing to grant you the distinctions between goats and true goats, in deference to the science of biology.

    Well that's my point: this post is about how common names contrast with actual, rigid taxonomical definitions. :p

    Like the colloquial word "goat" fits, but your comment read to me, given the context of the post, like you were saying goats can exist outside Capra via a technical definition, which isn't true.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 14 child comments
  • load more comments (13 replies)
  • load more comments (21 replies)
  • load more comments (3 replies)
    [–] 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

    Do people not consider May to be between Spring and Summer? Legit confused here.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 31 points 1 day ago (2 children)

    It May Fly, but does it???

    Does it????

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • load more comments (2 replies)
    [–] 21 points 1 day ago

    Hmmmm... The guide didn't say the mountain goat isn't a mountain... So I guess I'll go catch me me own mountain!

  • source
  • [–] 38 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    Mayfly indeed may fly, give it a pass!

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • load more comments (2 replies)

    most south american "foxes" arnt true foxes, genus vulpes they have thier own lineages. new world porcupine isnt actually closely related to old world porcupine(different evolution ).

    extinct american cheetah, wasnt actually a cheetah but a PUMA relative, a different species.

  • source
  • load more comments
    view more: next β€Ί