A Whale with Legs

It has become popular among evolutionary biologists with an interest in fossil cetaceans to emphasize that whales once had legs. Here's an example of a recent whale, specifically the humpback whale (Megaptera nodosa), which was found with rear "limbs." A female humpback was killed by a whaler in 1919. The pelvic bones protruded from the body approximately 4 feet 2 inches. They were covered with blubber. A "limb" is very noticeable in the photograph accompanying the article below, but does not resemble a "leg" as we would consider it. Andrews notes that these "limbs" are in the same place as one would find rudimentary hind limbs that have appeared in embryos of humpback whales. Usually, these rudimentary limbs disappear as the embryo develops. Perhaps this was a case of a whale with neotenic traits?

Andrews, R.C. 1921. A remarkable case of external hind limbs in a humpback whale. Report of the Provincial Museum (British Columbia) M9-M11.

Jay, on MadEye's post, I asked about your siggy.

MadEyePixie has a post about a strange critter washed up in Japan after a storm.  I saw your signature and asked about it.
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Jay, I saw your siggie and I wanted to ask if you saw that episode of UFO files or whatever it is on the History Channel, about someone who came forward claiming that lasers, fiber optics, bulletproof vests, and so forth (all developed during and after the fifties) were recovered from the Roswell crash, and he studied when they were recovered?

Pretty interesting stuff...for every reason they came up with why it wasn't true, he had one for why it was. A big one was, "How could you tell what it was used for, if nothing like it was seen before?"

My answer to The Question was, "Well, we looked at it, studied it, and decided this is what it did."

They got mad because they said it's an insult to people like the woman who developed lasers. 

...well, i suppose it's possible she was commondered to help.

See, when they say, "there is no proof that the government..."

Well, you work for the government for one thing.  For another, since governments control the world, they can do as they like.

I dont beleive that the government...i am not a conspiracy fanatic, but i do beleive the government knows more than we do about just about everything.  Why?  Because they are the government.  They wouldnt have as much power if they were as stupid as the common man.
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Agreed. I would also add that the government, in their best interest, would have to keep 'Reverse Engineering' under the radar of the populus. For the simple reason of keeping society in check. Mass religious chaos would ensue, panic out of fear of the possibilities, etc...
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Yeah. I can see why they'd want to hide alien activity on Earth and things like that. I just saw War of the Worlds and...yeah.

Though it was a poorly-planned operation.  You read the book?  Heard the 30's broadcast?
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"I got an idea, since we've got nothing better to do.  Let's spend a million years planning to conquer a planet, but just for kicks and giggles, not plan around germs."
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