If Fish Had Hands

The origin of species from a common descent is compelling, as is speciation, multiplication and diversity over eons.

Evolution can occur without morphological change; and morphological change can occur without evolution.

Yet I never imagined an operatic mermaid could move me to tears.

One can't say humans share common ancestry with mermaids for the same reason reputable scientists are skeptical about fairies.

There may be fairies at the bottom of the garden. There is no evidence for it, but you can't prove that there aren't any, so shouldn't we be agnostic with respect to fairies?
~Richard Dawkins

That is why I am trying to be agnostic with respect to humans descending from butt-ugly fish.

Still, the evidence is compelling.

Fish and humans have many of the same organs, a digestive system and a reproductive system.

But humans breathe through opposing nostrils while fish breathe through opposing gill slits.

If fish had hands, would they pinch their gills when they jumped out of the water?

Rough Fish Magazine

Fish Shape World View
Wasilla, Alaska

Katie Couric, special political correspondent to Rough Fish, caught up with vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin outside the provincial backwater of Wasilla, Alaska.

Special political correspondent Couric slow-burned the perky Alaskan executrice like a desiccated carp abandoned in a Little Chief smoker.

Coaxing this knuckle-headed ditz into revealing the world-view shaping events in her life, Couric relentlessly grilled Ms. Palin on how the different types of fish she has caught over the years in Alaska might have prepared her for the vice presidency.

Here is an excerpt from our Rough Fish exclusive interview:

KC:
When it comes to your world view, what kinds of fish did you regularly catch before you were tapped as Senator John McCain’s running mate?
SP:
I've caught most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media...
KC:
Like what kinds of fish specifically…I'm curious that you...?
SP:
Um…I’ve caught ALL of them, ANY of them that have been in front of me over all these the years.
KC:
Can you name a few?
SP:
I have a vast variety of fish holes were we haul out our share of lunkers. Alaska isn't a foreign country, ya know!