Talk:Transitional fossil: Difference between revisions

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{{Talk:Transitional fossil/GA1}}

==''Tiktaalik'' picture (again)==

The current picture of the "fishapod",File:Fishapods.png, isn't very good. First off, it shows ''Tiktaalik'' as one of a number of critters. The drawings themselves are just line drawings and are not very good (''Acanthostega'' is particularly bad), and ''Tiktaalik'' bends it head in a rather peculiar way. I don't think it could do that in real life (it could tip it's head up, not down). It also illustrate temporal and habitat distribution, rather than the animals themselves. It would be a decent illustration for [[Fishapod]] or [[Evolution of tetrapods]], but I think we should find one better suited for this article. [[User:Petter Bøckman|Petter Bøckman]] ([[User talk:Petter Bøckman|talk]]) 08:17, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

:: We are free to revert to the image of the reconstruction of ''Tiktaalik'' which remains on Commons. No explanation was given for moving to the 'fishapod' drawing, we are free to ask why it was substituted. Meanwhile I've inserted the skull photo which is definitely helpful in showing use of air as well as water...... [[User:Chiswick Chap|Chiswick Chap]] ([[User talk:Chiswick Chap|talk]]) 08:47, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

:::I think it was because there was a round of vandalism last night, removing pictures released by a particular artist on Commons, and someone added the current instead. The old picture was however not ideal either, as it showed ''Tiktaalik'' in an improbable "push-up" position. Obsidian Soul was making [[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Palaeontology/Paleoart_review#Tiktaalik|a new picture]], but he did not get around to finish it. We could ask him nicely if he can finish it, or I can make a crude picture (when family time allows). [[User:Petter Bøckman|Petter Bøckman]] ([[User talk:Petter Bøckman|talk]]) 12:09, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

:::: Well, the original image is still on Commons, and if it was merely removed in vandalism there's no reason not to revert, so I've put it back for now. That doesn't preclude you or Obsidian Soul drawing a better one, of course. [[User:Chiswick Chap|Chiswick Chap]] ([[User talk:Chiswick Chap|talk]]) 12:57, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

::::::My error, got mixed up with the apparent deletion of an allegedly non-free image and added the fishapod pic as an interim measure. None of the [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:TiktaalikTiktaalik images] are ideal. If our [[Tiktaalik]] article is correct, it "also lacked a characteristic that most fishes have—bony plates in the gill area that restrict lateral head movement. This makes Tiktaalik the earliest known fish to have a neck, with the pectoral girdle separate from the skull." [[Lateral (anatomy)]] implies sideways movement, distinct from fishes which must move their whole body to move their head. Shubin's ''Your Inner Fish'' pp. 22–24 is clear that Tiktaalik was distinguished from fishes by having a neck and being able to move its head independently, but these pages don't indicate whether the movement was lateral. There's also the question of habitat: Obsidian Soul's [http://i.imgur.com/IfwNe.jpg sketch] is terrific, hope something on these lines can be made available. . [[User:Dave souza|dave souza]], [[User talk:Dave souza|talk]] 14:20, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

:::::::Oh good, an honest mixup, not anything worse. We'll look forward to a better image, then. [[User:Chiswick Chap|Chiswick Chap]] ([[User talk:Chiswick Chap|talk]]) 18:21, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

::::::::We could ever so nicely ask Obsidian how things are going. As Davis says, non of the images we have are ideal. [[User:Petter Bøckman|Petter Bøckman]] ([[User talk:Petter Bøckman|talk]]) 20:11, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

== Split Missing Link ==

Current [[missing link]] redirects to [[Transitional fossil#Missing links]]. I propose to move this section's 5 paragraphs to a separate article because the content is distinct from the main article ([[WP:CONSPLIT]]). Particularly, the section about "missing links" is about the antiquated concept which transitional fossils replaced. I'm reminded of the distinction between [[abiogenesis]] and [[creation myth]], or [[theory of relativity]] and [[luminiferous aether]]. We have different articles about these because the former is scientific and the latter is not. A separate article for "missing link" might make it easier to categorize and reference, e.g., in [[:Category:Misconceptions]] or from the [[list of common misconceptions]]. --[[User:Beefyt|beefyt]] ([[User talk:Beefyt|talk]]) 06:00, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

: That would be most unfortunate. The redirect is appropriate because 'missing link' describes in a confused and lay (non-specialist) way part of the same idea as transitional fossil: the same, because the idea is that there is some kind of a gap to be transitioned between item of evidence A and item B; confused and lay because of course a gap is inherent in the fossil record, not least because each fossil is discrete so by definition there must be gaps, but also because of the feeling that just one more piece would complete the jigsaw puzzle, or that this one exciting discovery is the magic missing piece. You unfortunately can't dismiss this as purely antiquated because the popular press still treats the likes of Tiktaalik as a missing link; every decade we get headlines like 'throw away your zoology textbooks'. No, 'missing link' is properly a view of the transitional fossil concept, and while it has misunderstanding all around it, you could say that transitional does too; after all, many if not most fossils illustrate some kind of transition. [[User:Chiswick Chap|Chiswick Chap]] ([[User talk:Chiswick Chap|talk]]) 06:48, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

::I agree, the two terms "transitional fossil" and "missing link" describe the same phenomena. If anything, we should put the term "missing link" in the first sentence of the lede as it probably is the most used (if not correct) term. [[User:Petter Bøckman|Petter Bøckman]] ([[User talk:Petter Bøckman|talk]]) 09:49, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

:::Although they describe the same phenomena, the term ''missing link'' gives a very different explanation of the phenomena than transitional fossils, i.e., the [[great chain of being]]. This article is supposed to be about scientific ideas, but it contains a section about religious and historical ideas. In my opinion this section does not fit, since it leads in a different direction (religion, pseudoscience, etc.) than the main article. To be expanded, categorized, and placed in context (e.g., [[creationism]]), the section must be split into a separate article. [[Flood geology]] is not a section in the [[geological history]] article because the two topics give very different explanations of the same phenomena. Generally, a separate article is be more effective and less confusing to a general reader because the scientific concept would be explained in the context of the lay concept, rather than explaining the lay concept in the context of the scientific concept. --[[User:Beefyt|beefyt]] ([[User talk:Beefyt|talk]]) 20:32, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

::::I think you will find that the use of the therm "missing link" is a bit more complex than just being religious and pseudoscientific. I am not dead set against a separate article, but just like an article on evolution should discuss Lamarcism in the history-section, this one should have something on missing links, even the pseudoscientific aspect of it. [[User:Petter Bøckman|Petter Bøckman]] ([[User talk:Petter Bøckman|talk]]) 20:42, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

:::::Yes I expected so; I'm not very familiar with the concept other its occurrence in mainstream media. I agree that this article should discuss "missing link". Ideally I'd to keep 1-2 paragraphs here and add a hatnote to the main article. --[[User:Beefyt|beefyt]] ([[User talk:Beefyt|talk]]) 21:51, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

Over 50 articles currently link directly to [[missing link]]. Maybe this is a good signal that the topic deserves its own article? --[[User:Beefyt|beefyt]] ([[User talk:Beefyt|talk]]) 03:58, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

:Not quite true: they link indirectly to the current article. I've undone your change to the redirect. Looking at a few random examples, the redirect is better to the head of the article as it has been. Missing link is still the popular term for "transitional fossil" and by Wikipedia rules that's where it should link. Few people know or care about the great chain of being. I think your proposal below is not supported by most people above. [[User:Chris55|Chris55]] ([[User talk:Chris55|talk]]) 10:41, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

::Very well, I'll remove the split tag. --[[User:Beefyt|beefyt]] ([[User talk:Beefyt|talk]]) 17:35, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

=== Proposals===

I propose a new version of "Transitional fossil" and new "Missing link" article,

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Beefyt/Transitional_fossil

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Beefyt/Missing_link

Is this satisfactory? --[[User:Beefyt|beefyt]] ([[User talk:Beefyt|talk]]) 05:58, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

:I personally would like them to remain one article, but there's certainly enough text to make a Missing Link article. It needs a bit of work though, as it must also present the concept of evolutionary intermediates. [[User:Petter Bøckman|Petter Bøckman]] ([[User talk:Petter Bøckman|talk]]) 09:28, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

:You've done it as well as it can probably be done, but it still has the effect of weakening a Good Article, and of splitting one subject into two articles; and there is the likelihood of increased content forking as people add material to both articles to replace the 'missing' bits not present in each half. No, it's far more satisfactory to leave it as it is, I'm afraid. [[User:Chiswick Chap|Chiswick Chap]] ([[User talk:Chiswick Chap|talk]]) 06:46, 2 June 2012 (UTC)

== Article feedback ==

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That last IP edit reminded me. A section on the Platypus and other animals like that could be interesting. It would go under "Misunderstandings". --[[User:Harizotoh9|Harizotoh9]] ([[User talk:Harizotoh9|talk]]) 02:38, 24 March 2014 (UTC)

:: Mm, yes. Love the mammal evolving into a duck, or was it the other way round. It will be a controversial section that could create quite a challenge for FA; finding reliable, undisputed sources for it might be .. interesting. [[User:Chiswick Chap|Chiswick Chap]] ([[User talk:Chiswick Chap|talk]]) 07:53, 24 March 2014 (UTC)

== Strange content in "missing link" section ==

The section "missing link" (in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Transitional_fossil&oldid=992508500#Missing_links as-of-writing current revision] does not make sense to me. The sources do support the claim that modern use of the term can be emphasized unduly, or lead to lopsided understanding of human evolution; they does not support a characterization of transitional fossils being a "misconception", or the implication that people looking for transitional fossils were operating under false premises (in fact, just the opposite -- the section details numerous discoveries, like the [[Java Man]], which identified the missing links which had been unknown at the time). I am going to copyedit the section. '''[[User:JPxG|jp]]'''×'''[[User talk:JPxG|g]]''' 01:56, 11 December 2020 (UTC)