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To: TC Rider; ican'tbelieveit; Lady Jag; Drammach; FreedomCalls; expatguy; vimto

It's amazing how that picture of a fossa so well shows incredible similarities... the legs are quite remarkable. I'm not sure about the ears, and it's awful hard to tell with the lighting but there may be a subtle difference in color. These sort of changes MAY indicate some speciation, but hardly justify the sort of headlines this generated, which made it seem like the discovery of the Platypus, or the Echidna, or something like that.

"New Carnivore Discovered" sure is a lot flashier than "Obscure animal seen wiih unusual colorations that might suggest speciation."

I don't think the WWF faked this, I think they simply did an amazing job of spinning a none-too-remarkable sighting.


82 posted on 12/06/2005 7:52:08 PM PST by dangus
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To: dangus

Think of the cougar/puma/panther/mountain lion family. Depending where you are, you have different coloration and size, but still the same species.


84 posted on 12/06/2005 8:28:08 PM PST by ican'tbelieveit
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To: dangus; ican'tbelieveit; Lady Jag; Drammach; FreedomCalls; expatguy; vimto

I'm fortunate to be friends with a fossa expert, Luke Dollar, a Research Fellow at Duke University. He's spent a lot of time studying and trapping fossa in Madagascar. He is already in touch with researchers in Borneo. They feel there are more similarities than differences.

The fossa is also very reclusive and difficult to trap. (they like chicken!)


90 posted on 12/07/2005 7:27:55 AM PST by TC Rider (The United States Constitution © 1791. All Rights Reserved.)
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