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From: JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET (Josh Hayes)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Modern Pleisiosaur?
Message-ID: <90290.105835JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET>
Date: 17 Oct 90 15:58:34 GMT
References: <794@hutto.UUCP> <1990Oct16.142847.2248@granite.cr.bull.com>
Organization: Miami University - Academic Computer Service
Lines: 18

In an interesting book titled "In the Wake of the Sea Serpent",
Bernard Heuvelmans shows that basking sharks usually decay in
such a way as to look very much like a plesiosaur, due to the
structure of their skeleton and their relatively tiny braincase.
I suspect that's what this was, which would also explain why
it smelled so bad they had to chuck it or upchuck....
 
Bernard, by the way, believes in sea "monsters", I tend not to,
but the ocean is such a damn big and alien place I refuse to
rule it out categorically. After all, the giant squid is a
scientifically recognized species (in a monotypic genus,
Architeuthis). Who knows?
 
Josh Hayes, Zoology Department, Miami University, Oxford OH 45056
voice: 513-529-1679      fax: 513-529-6900
jahayes@miamiu.bitnet, or jahayes@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu
I'm back, I'm back! I've been to ancient Greece -- I have proof,
look at this grape!