Butter-fingered Annese

Mitchell A. Bailey · 03 Apr 1999, 17:10 · from urth-v0024.mbox · original

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From: "Mitchell A. Bailey" <MAB at lindau.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) Re:Butter-fingered Annese
Date: Sat, 03 Apr 1999 17:10:32
Message-ID: <urth-v0024-0138 at digest.urth.net>
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Roy C. Lackey wrote:
>=20
> On 4-2-99 Mitchell A. Bailey wrote:
>=20
> <snip>
> >>As an aside: I've always found the manual dexterity attribute of the
> Annese kind of troubling. ...>=20
>     I think Wolfe was applying Lamarck's idea that once an organ or
> attribute has "lost" its functionality and, if favorable circumstances fo=
r it recur, that that organ or attribute can not resume its former
> functionality. I think what Wolfe intended here was that the Annese had l=
ost the use of their opposable thumb and could not reacquire it. You can we=
ave a net with just your fingers and teeth, but just try to use a shovel wi=
thout using your thumb. It is also why V.R.T couldn't write worth a damn.
>=20
> Roy

Thanks, Roy

You meant to say Dollo's law, I presume. Actually, I had never heard of
Dollo's Law until I read 5HC almost twenty years ago, and I never heard
of Lamarck until I read the archives (Master Ultan Knew exactly which
shelf to find it upon). My education was rather light on biology.

I am indeed pondering possible answers to my own question, and Lamarck
(as I understand it from you folks' previous discussions) plays a part.
Watch this space.

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

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