Humor, or attempt thereat... (was RE: Orangachimps??? (off-topic))

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Dann Pigdon
>
> David Marjanovic wrote:
> > According to the biospecies concept, there _must_ be more than
> one species
> > involved -- I can't imagine animals with different numbers of
> chromosomes
> > could have much fertile offspring.
>
> Surely people with Down's Syndrome can have children?
>
> And of course just having the same number of chromosomes doesn't
> guarantee a successful mating. I believe kangaroos have the same number
> of chromosomes as a potatoe. Now there's a hybrid I'd like to see... :)

By an astonishing coincidence, there is a "classic" filk(*) song in Science
Fiction fandom circles called "Bouncing Potatoes".  To to the tune of
"Waltzing Matilda", making the kangaroo connection that much more perfect.

* Filk song: see http://www.massfilc.org/filkdefined.html.

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796