Potemkin wrote:Actually, it is. A bird is a vertebrate, and all vertebrates are descended from fish (specifically, lobe-finned fish). Since cladistic analysis must include all the descendants of a clade of animals in the definition of that clade for it to be biologically meaningful, then it follows that all vertebrates are fish, and since birds are vertebrates then birds are fish. QED.
Bees, on the other hand, are not vertebrates and are therefore not fish. Except legally. Lol.
Lol, I know, I know you’ve picked me up on this before
I made a mistake. I was meant to write bee. My subconscious clearly doesn’t like the bird/fish comparison either…and not without reason mind
In common parlance, fish, birds and bees are different creatures.
Let’s say theres a proposal for a mine site on a disputed piece of land with cultural significance. A very rare bird, (the type with wings) also happens to live there. Development would impinge on its breeding and its future existence.
How do you think the reports should read? “We hold strong concerns for the viability of a fish species that inhabits the area OR, we hold strong concerns for a bird species that inhabits the area?”?
What kind of custodians are we exactly? Do we want to protect? Or do we want to hide behind legalities and biological clades?