• AFineWayToDie [he/him]
    ·
    7 months ago

    In biological classification, once you join a club you never leave.

    That's why humans are fish, "reptile" and "lizard" are invalid classifications, birds are dinosaurs, and snakes are tetrapods (meaning "four legs").

    • BoxedFenders [any, comrade/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      7 months ago

      I love when taxonomic lineages defy outer appearances. Like how common sense would dictate that crocodiles would be closely related to lizards but nope, the closest living kin to crocodilians are birds. And similarly, tuna fish are more closely related to humans than they are to sharks!

      • AFineWayToDie [he/him]
        ·
        7 months ago

        And there are "lizards" which are more closely related to snakes than they are to other reptiles classified as "lizards."

    • BountifulEggnog [she/her]
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      "reptile" and "lizard" are invalid classifications

      Can you explain how? I was under the impression a reptile group could be made, it just includes birds. The "reptile" group most people think of is the non avian reptiles.

      • Bay_of_Piggies [he/him, comrade/them]
        ·
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        Its sauropsidan now and includes reptilians, avians, dinosaurs and crocodilians. It has a cousin taxonomy I forget the name of that includes all mammalians and a number of extinct groups. Those extinct and four legged spiny looking fellas that look like lizards are more closely related to humans than your modern lizard.