Ya think this could be the true moment of life?

Gastrulation: the moment when the hollow ball of cells called the blastocyst form their first recognizable, functional feature. I did not realize that something so important was created in us deuterosomes at such an early stage.

Two opposing points on the surface of the ball indent toward the center, eventually forming a hole. This hole in the blastocyst (called a blastopore) becomes the anus.

See? Choobus has been right all along.

(Back to reading Dawkins)

So, then.... we ARE all assholes!

And then we're female.

Go figure.

Do what?

Yeah. The embryo is by default female. Unless the SRY gene kicks in and a chain of expressions occur, you're a female.

That's the lead-in for the current scientific explanation for homosexuality, especially in those males who have an obvious physical femininity.

The genome isn't a blueprint, it's a recipe. If the subsequent expressions of genes that give the brain and body "maleness" are inhibited, then... well... John Basedow.

Tenspace, if you're still reading 'An Ancestor's Tale,' have you come to that common ancestor of ours (I believe it was a shrew-like creature) whose poopshoot and Cave o' Creation was one in the same? It occurred to me that therein lies *some people's* preoccupation with anal -- it has an evolutionary antecedent.

[Not for the first time, I thought 'An Anecestor's Tail' might have been the more apropos title.]

I think it's just around the corner. I've made it to the protostomes, annelid worms, molluscs, arthropods, etc.

I am thankful to find that the molecular divide between crab and spider is long and deep. I wasn't about to give up tasty crab legs in a nod to my arachnophobia.

Unfortunately for me, I got to about where you are now -- concestor 26ish? -- before I had to return to library (I'd already renewed it twice, the limit). Which is too bad, because I knew that fungi were coming up. I'll have to take it out again soon...

Yeah, that's where I am.

I stopped getting non-fiction books at the library because I ended up with an empty reference shelf. Now, I'm buy all the science books so I have something to refute Salty with. :)

Did you ever see the special on PBS where the Yanomamo guy in the Amazon trapped a tarantula with his little homemade noose, wrapped it in leaves, baked and ate it, and then picked his teeth with the fangs? Awesome! Though I would not be able to do it. (The fangs are actually quite soft, like cartilage) :D

Too bad fetuses don't have fangs. ;)

All you need to refute Salty is a $5 pocket dictionary.

Hmmm...we still have those creatures. Todat they are only two. They are called, the three in ONE ( I'd call them trinitarians) monotremes. They are the ornythorhynchus and the Equidna ( from the Tachyglossidae family). Sex most be lots of fun for them....triholians, alas just like females....:lol::lol:

fetus says, "So, you wanta scrape my ass out of here, huh?" Comes out shreddin'. :o:o

Or, you could be picking your teeth clean with them, if you know what I mean. ;)