“I don’t know…
maybe…. never looked. We’re so rare it’s… we’re not even catalogued as
fully a intelligent people… then again not all of us can talk…”… I’m
sorry Carlos…”
“No – No, don’t be,” Carlos told him. “We just… clearly neither of us knew. Just…” Carlos sighed. “There’s got to be someone. Someone in the entire galaxy – a historian or an anthropologist or a doctor or something – who knows what to do.”
Honestly, icthyosaur fins are incredibly unsettling. What do I mean by that? Well, let’s look at the fin of a dolphin and compare.
It has a hand in there. Good. Homologous structures and all that. This is a good creature.
Now what the hell is this ungodly thing?
The entire fin, it’s just full of bones. A solid bone paddle. What is going on here?
Well, some Icthyosaurs actually exhibit a phenomenon known as polydactyly. What this means is that they had extra fingers. While not entirely uncommon for a single individual of a species to have extra digits, it’s extremely uncommon among tetrapods to gain extras across an entire species. We see it among some early tetrapods, but we also see it here, with Icthyosaurs. In some species, the number of fingers on one limb reaches ten.
Icthyosaurs also exhibit something known as hyperphalangy. While less unique (it’s also present in whales, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs according to Wikipedia), hyperphalangy means that the limbs have extra phalanx bones. What this means in Icthyosaurs is an almost corncob-like grid of bones.
In fact, when I was researching this, google thought that a picture of icthyosaur fins was in fact of corn domestication.
In conclusion, Icthyosaurs have clearly commited some sin in finger theivery, and their extinction was deserved.
I’m just trying to figure out why Secret Fingers Hidden in the Flesh freak you out less than flipperbones being shaped like flippers
It’s because finger fins are the norm! You see them in whales, manatees, turtles, mosasaurs, seals, nothosaurs, and pretty much every other aquatic tetrapod! Seeing homologous structures similarly appear in convergently evolved species is what you expect. Seeing corn-filled fins is not!
Carlos smiled at him. “I’m pretty sure you won’t,” he said. “I… I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I’ve walked into.” Admittedly, Carlos didn’t expect any of this. But things just… seemed to fall in place. He wasn’t going to question it too much – not when he and Hancock have such a good thing going.
“I sure hope so.” He chuckled softly then brought Carlos’ hand up to his lips to kiss his knuckles. Moving closer then, Hancock pulled the other man’s arms around his shoulders and pressed right up against his side, resting his head on the scientist’s shoulder. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you, y’know? You’ve made my life so much better than I ever thought it could be.”
Carlos wrapped his arms around Hancock and held him tight. He rubbed Hancock’s back right between his shoulder blades up and down his bony spine. “You should know, I share the same sentiments,” Carlos told him. “I really didn’t think my own life was going to ever look up again. So I’m glad… I’m really happy to have this.”
Carlos was trying to figure out what to do. When Hancock touched him a hand automatically went up to take one of Hancock’s and give it a tight squeeze. Carlos took a look around at the needles and empty canisters and he felt overwhelmed.
“Han, did you… did you take all this??” he asked seriously. He then spotted bottles among the items and, somehow, his fear grew. He mixed drugs and alcohol?? Hancock was a hearty individual, as a ghoul, but Carlos feared that not even he would sober up in one piece.
“I….” He didn’t quite understand the question, not at first. Once it processed, Hancock glanced over at the scattered needles and bottles and sniffled. “Yeah?” It came out more as a question than anything, his mind still struggling to follow Carlos’ line of thought.
“What––” He started again, eyes flicking back up to the other man’s. “A-are you….. gonna leave me….? I-I didn’t mean to–– please give me another chance…..”
Carlos couldn’t help but look at the other incredulously. “What? No! I’m not! But Jesus, Hancock!” Carlos shut his eyes and tried to think. Addictol. Would Hancock even have any?
“Han, do you have any Addictol? I can get you some water, but is there anything I can give you to help you with this?” If he didn’t have any Carlos was going to have to send a Watchman out to get some. Carlos was scared – he didn’t want to lose Hancock like this!
The Perfect Scientist 