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From: rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu (Mickey Rowe)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Numbers in biology
Message-ID: <40044@netnews.upenn.edu>
Date: 29 Mar 91 16:50:49 GMT
References: <1360@cvbnetPrime.COM>
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Reply-To: rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu (Mickey Rowe)
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In article <1360@cvbnetPrime.COM> dwilson@gozer.uucp (David Wilson {x6203}) writes:
}
}I am compiling interesting and/or significant information on the
}integers 0 through 100, in hopes of one day publishing a book.
}I am posting to this newsgroup to specifically request references
}from biological and related fields, although I welcome any interesting
}tidbit.  For instance, I understand that:
}
}    Most vertebrates have ... 5 "fingers" on each
}    "hand." 
}

}If you would care to elaborate on the above observations, or have
}any of your own, from biology or any other field, please e-mail to me.

Where did you get this information?  I think that it's probably wrong
if most means most species, but I'm even more sure it's wrong if you
mean most in terms of absolute number.  Amphibians only have 4 fingers
at the end of each forelimb, and there are an awful lot of frogs out
there... Also, most birds have lost some of their fingers, and the few
that remain can hardly be called that.  You also might want to look at
artiodactyla (e.g. pigs, hippopotami, camels, deer, giraffes,
antelope, sheep, goats and cows).  (Artiodactyl means "having an even
number of toes"...)

}David W. Wilson (dwilson@cvbnet.prime.com)
}J.H.Whitney (was Prime Computer (was Computervision Corp.)), Bedford, MA
}Disclaimer: "Truth is just truth...You can't have opinions about truth."
}- Peter Schikele, introduction to P.D.Q. Bach's oratorio "The Seasonings."

Mickey Rowe   (rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu)