By Judi McLeod
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Now that Japanese researchers have found a dolphin with 'remains of legs', how long will it be before some slick group steps forward to cash in on it?
When I first happened upon the story about the 'Double-leg Dolphin', I misunderstood what the researchers were saying. Human legs are found in the bellies of sharks and whales, but surely not those loveable dolphins, I thought.
Reading it a second time, it became clear that the bottlenose dolphin captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of back legs.
Not everything in the world's oceans is a fish. Dolphin and porpoise are mammals that once lived on land. It's an awe-inspiring reminder of the intelligence and survival instincts of mammals, who for reasons unknown gave up land for the depths of the sea.
Most earthlings love the noble dolphin. Dolphins have been known to rescue stranded swimmers. Dolphins are used successfully as therapy for disabled children.
Dolphins are known for their "trainability adaptability and heartiness in the marine environment.” (US Navy Marine Mammal Program). They are as valuable in their own way as the dogs used to find earthquake and avalanche victims.
The appeal of the dolphin with its endearing display of playfulnesswins hearts, young and old, the world over.
Little wonder that 'Flipper' became a wildly popular television series, and in terms of public affection, was right up there with Lassie.
Intriguingly, the dolphin with legs was discovered in Japan, a country with a record for not being kind to the dolphin.
Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Imagine being able to explain to children, that the fleet-footed deer that just crossed your lawn can call the majestic dolphin, a cousin.
In many ways, animals have much better instincts than humans. We are told that in Boxing Day 2004's horrific tsunami, animals headed for high ground long before people did. One story has it that elephants actually broke their chains to head for higher ground. and if only their human companions had understood why, perhaps more lives would have been spared.
Victims of bear attacks have recounted that even though they considered themselves to be in "safe” territory, they should have known something was up because all sound ceased around them just before the attack.
Though odd-shaped protrusions have been found near the tails of dolphins and whales captured in the past, researchers thought it was the first time one had been found with well-developed, symmetrical fins, Taiji Whaling Museum Director Katsuki Hayashi said. (www.breitbart. com).
"I believe the fins may be remains from the time when dolphin's ancient ancestors lived on land…this is an unprecedented discovery,” said Seiji Osumi, an adviser at Tokyo's Institute of Cetacean Research.
The second set of fins—much smaller than the dolphin's front fins—are about the size of human hands and protrude from near the tail on the dolphin's underside. The dolphin measures 2.72 metres and is about five years old, and the museum has pictures to prove it.
"a freak mutation may have caused the ancient trait to reassert itself, Osumi said. "The dolphin will be kept at the Taiji museum for X-ray and DNa tests.”
and therein, as they say, lies the rub. How long before activists jump in to claim that the freak mutation was caused by climate change? If their claims that butterflies were dying in droves because DDT was in use saving children from death by malaria in africa, blaming freak mutation on human pollution is not such a stretch.
Then there are the anonymous members of groups like The animal Liberation Front (aLF) who do not like animals kept in captivity even when they are used by researchers working to find cures for human disease.
Flipper in captivity may lead to irrefutable proof that mammals that walked the earth one day went into the sea; that animals very rarely willingly go down the route to endangered species category.
Many of God's creatures come with built-in radars, and left to their own devices, seem to know what's best for them.
The DNa of the dolphin with legs could someday retire aLF and other radical animal rights groups to Endangered Species category.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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