quote:Professor Patrick Schembri, writing in the Sunday Times, reports of a new photo that's been making the email rounds showing a very strange looking animal captured in a bucket. Versions of the email variously claim that the animal was found either at Il-Maghluq in Marsascala, or in Bahrija. Schembri identifies the animal as none other than a Diplocaulus, extinct for 270 million years, which means that the photo almost definitely must be a hoax (either that or it's a major scientific discovery). He writes of the Diplocaulus: "The very distinctive head may have been an adaptation against predators, since the wide head would make Diplocaulus difficult to swallow, or it may have aided the animal to swim by acting as a hydrofoil. Like most other early amphibians, Diplocaulus lived in or near water. It probably fed on insects or fish. It was also considerably larger than the image doing the rounds suggests, since fossils as large as 80 cm in length have been discovered." (via The Anomalist)
-------------------- This is where I come up with something right? Something really clever... Posts: 6552 | From: UK | Registered: Oct 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
This thread may be better off placed in Photo and Video Gallery.
I suspect someone shopped it (a bit of a line across the neck of the creature), but there are plenty of people there who are far more experienced in spotting fake (and real) pics.
-------------------- "How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That is the chocolate I am talking about." --Ray Nagin Posts: 1325 | From: Missouri | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- "Elly: Oops, I'm a damsel in distress now. Better scream girlishly and all… ahem. EEEK!"
Schwarz: Look, there's three ways to do things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Ninja way. Rey: Isn't that the wrong way? Schwarz: Yup, only stealthier. Posts: 546 | From: Pennsylvania | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- “We live in a society of victimization, where people are much more comfortable being victimized than actually standing up for themselves.” - Marilyn Manson "Well, end more, your not ending enough!" - MST3K Posts: 259 | From: Texas | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I agree it's probably fake, but I think saying it can't be real because it's a creature that's supposed to be extinct isn't exactly compelling evidence. This does probably belong in the photo gallery.
Posts: 417 | From: Escondido, California | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Cute little guy, whatever the case. I'd like one as a pet.
quote:Originally posted by The Amazing Rando: I think saying it can't be real because it's a creature that's supposed to be extinct isn't exactly compelling evidence.
"The animal that fooled the Internet was done by the Japanese model maker T.T. Kas from Tokyo. Not to fool anyone but as a contribution to a model contest by a Japanese magazine.
The basic model was made from clay, than Kas went over to plaster of Paris and the final product is molded in plastic. Kas had problems with the plaster, which to begin with gave bubbles in the plastic model, but after a lot of experimentation he could finally make flawless models.
The incredibly clever Japanese has not only done a model of Diplocaulus, his favorite among the prehistoric animals, but also other clever figures." Link above shows a few of his other models as well.
Posts: 156 | From: Varna, Bulgaria | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by U.T. Raptor: iirc, it's a model.
Ssshhhh!!!!
-------------------- "The system would also let you send your picture and contact details to a rough trade gay contact mailing list saying you like to be surprised with power tools in a non-consensual role play scenario – but that doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it.!" Posts: 298 | From: Monterrey, Mexico | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Gunslinger: Cute little guy, whatever the case. I'd like one as a pet.
quote:Originally posted by The Amazing Rando: I think saying it can't be real because it's a creature that's supposed to be extinct isn't exactly compelling evidence.
My thoughts exactly (even though this one is aparrantly fake). People always are quick to label any pictures of aliens, ghosts or extinct animals as fake because there are no such things as [incert supposidly nonexistant creature here]. Thats not really evidence at all, its right up there with "The bible is fact because the bible says so" it dosn't pull any new information into the mix, just beliefs.
As you pointed out, I don't think anything can illustrate that point more then the Coelocanth. Granted the likelyhood of a huge supposidly non-existant creature living in a popluated area is unlikely, but then this one wasn't huge by any means, much smaller then a Coelacanth actually.
Oh well, like I said I would say that the burdon of proof is certainly on the person making the outrageous claim, but for the purposes of this photo forum, just saying "Its obvioulsy fake, that animal dosn't exist!" makes about as much logical sense as saying "Its shopped.. I just have a feeling".
(Not really an attack on anybody specific, more of trends I see over time here and elsewhere, such as the article mentioned).
-------------------- "All people are responsible for the good that they didn't do" Posts: 4774 | From: Virginia | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
What amazes me is the sheer number of people who have nothing better to do than rip valid photos from the web and turn them into hoaxes. A good photoshop job I can appreciate from a graphic artist's perspective, but stuff like this is the mental equivilent to "tagging".
Posts: 156 | From: Varna, Bulgaria | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I rather like how the two comments on the page linked are quite clearly both in a foreign (to me) language (possibly Dutch?). But one is indecipherable and the other is absolutely clear.
Unless, of course, the second comment really is English and Annoesjka just can't spell all that well.
-------------------- "We don't keep a certified whale-vomit expert on staff." - Larry Penny, Director, Natural Resources Department, Town of East Hampton Posts: 377 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
