From: rokimoto557@gmail.com   
      
   On 7/6/2025 10:09 PM, Pro Plyd wrote:   
   >   
   > https://indiandefencereview.com/its-official-dolphins-and-orcas-have-   
   > now-crossed-the-point-of-no-return-in-their-evolution-of-returning-to-   
   > land-again/   
   >   
   > Dolphins and orcas, revered for their intelligence   
   > and agility, have reached a pivotal point in their   
   > evolutionary journey. New research has revealed   
   > that these marine mammals, once land-dwellers, have   
   > evolved to a stage where returning to life on land   
   > is biologically impossible. A breakthrough study   
   > underscores that after millions of years of   
   > evolutionary change, dolphins and orcas are now   
   > forever bound to the ocean.   
   >   
   > Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B,   
   > the study scrutinized over 5,600 mammal species   
   > to understand how dolphins and orcas evolved from   
   > semi-aquatic ancestors to fully marine life forms.   
   > The research, led by Bruna Farina, a PhD candidate   
   > at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland,   
   > concludes that the transition from semi-aquatic to   
   > fully aquatic is a one-way path. Once a species   
   > makes this leap, its evolutionary direction becomes   
   > irreversible.   
   >   
   > Farina’s team found that this transition occurred   
   > millions of years ago when mammals returned to the   
   > sea. Unlike their terrestrial predecessors, dolphins   
   > and orcas cannot evolve back to a land-based   
   > lifestyle. Their adaptations—such as specialized   
   > limbs, unique diets, and reproductive systems—have   
   > become so ingrained that reversing these traits is   
   > no longer possible.   
   > ...   
   >   
   > The paper is here   
   >   
   > https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.1099   
   > Dollo meets Bergmann: morphological evolution in   
   > secondary aquatic mammals   
   >   
   Never say never.  How did fish adapt to terrestrial life styles?   
   Dolphins already have lungs.   
      
   Ron Okimoto   
      
   Ron Okimoto   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)