Posted 03.31.2011 at 4:07 pm
14 Comments
Stingray, X-Rayed
Ken Jones
Biologists have just discovered two new species of freshwater stingray in the Amazon rainforest, informally christening them "pancake stingrays" for their distinct IHOPian appearance (see below). Naturally, one of their first orders of business was to x-ray one of the specimens, the unearthly result you see above.
The two new species, Heliotrygon gomesi and Heliotrygon rosai, are quite large, though other stingray species in this family (comprised of freshwater stingrays from the New World tropics) can reach an unnerving five feet in diameter. The x-rayed specimen is a preadult male in the Heliotrygon gomesi species, found in the rainforest near Iquitos, Peru.
Pancake Stingray: Get it? Ken Jones
The biologists are particularly excited; the discovery of two new species of large fish shows that the Amazon has not nearly been fully explored or documented. Who knows what else is out there? We're still in awe of the x-ray, but we've been known to obsess over the innards of just about everything (organic or not).
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Amazing O.O
38KKK
*D Ace Lee*
\m/(>.<)\m/
Am I the only one that can see the obvious trilobite in the center...?
@ Vega_Obscura I noticed that as well. Very interesting.
yeah Vega.. but don't say that too loudly, evolution is a myth remember lol. Amazing. The planet shows us yet again that we don't know squat about it.
very interesting.. vega nice observation lol, thats really interesting as well.
@Vega_Obscura I thought the same thing.
Cool. @CodeZero And how does something looking like something else make evolution true? And we don't know squat about anything.
@Elliot - It doesn't. However, this is precisely the same logic used to justify the alternative point of view. Just look and you'll see...whatever you want to see!
CodeZero sees evolution in action because of the similarities between this creature's physical appearance and that of a creature that existed long ago. However, physical appearance is often not the best indicator of a creature's evolutionary similarity, however convenient that would be in explaining the theory to laymen.
Still, it's fascinating how much is left to discover, even right here on our little planet.
I would like to point out that although the shape inside the stingray may share some similarities in appearance to a trilobite; it doesn't indicate an evolutionary link. The image produced in the X-ray is actually the stingray's gills.
If you look at the photo of the stingray you can see the openings which allow water to enter and wash across the gills. Freshwater stingrays often have these openings so that they can breath while lying on a muddy river or lake bottom.
All I see is a Face-huger Xenoform in the x-ray...
LMFAO
@Igot1forya
me, too, man. me, too.
that's actually about all i see in any creature of the same general size.
Evil-oution is a myth.
This is how evil-loutionists think....
I found the skeleton of a cat, then a mile away I found a skeleton of a dog...so naturally we have to conclude that dog evolved from cats...cause they are in the ground.
Give me a break.
P.S stay out of the amazon...we don't need to destroy it, like every other piece of pristine land on earth.
I just want to say....
Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!!!! But whale shark is still my favorite!