From: bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com   
      
   On 12/16/25 17:58, Dimensional Traveler wrote:   
   > On 12/16/2025 9:20 AM, Paul S Person wrote:   
   >> On Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:55:38 -0500 (EST), jdnicoll@panix.com (James   
   >> Nicoll) wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> Hard Landing by Algis Budrys   
   >>>   
   >>> Starmen marooned in barbaric America!   
   >>>   
   >>> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/castaway   
   >>   
   >> The "marsupial version of a camel" would, presumably, be the   
   >> "marsupial version of a horse designed by a committee".   
   >>   
   > Since marsupials were obviously designed by a committee you now have a   
   > second committee redesigning the first committee's design.   
      
   	Camels are said to be designed by a committee but marsupials   
   evolved to suit conditions.  We see no marsupial camels nor even   
   cameloids so the adaptation of the marupial and the camel are   
   not mutually advantageous.  Then too humans have been around   
   camels quite a while now and selective breeding might have   
   eradicated any hint of marsupialism in the parent stock.   
      
   >   
   >> But what either would look like I have no idea.   
   >>   
   >> Bing brings up Palorchestes, but this is only said to be horse-sized.   
   >> And even that may not be correct, apparently, although I suppose   
   >> different species could have had different sizes.   
      
   	The same species can have widely different sizes as looking at   
     Canis familiaris from the tiny Chihuahua to the Great Dane. They all   
   came from Grey Wolves and are fantastically interfertile. All the sizes   
   and utility in various breeds are the result of 14,000 years of human   
   selection.  I think that the wide range of sizes in the kangaroo is   
   from natural selection and may represent different species.   
   	If people for some odd reason domesticated kangaroos then   
   they might as have dogs, pigs. horses, foxes, cows and chickens, they   
   would develop more individual looks which humans would find pleasing   
   and select them for breeding.   
      
   	bliss   
      
   	   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)