Originally posted by Doc Velocity
. . . .
Look at the various indigenous species of Australia... They are freaky, from a naturalist's point of view, like a population isolated and left to its own devices of evolution for millions of years. Okay? Are you with me, mate? Australia is like a whole continent of Island Evolution, separated from the rest of the world by continuous tectonic upheavals.
So there's a concentration of species, there's inbreeding, evolution takes a queer turn on itself on a massive scale, and very peculiar animals are the result, right? ("peculiar" relative to the rest of the species on the planet)
What is Humankind if not a VERY PECULIAR animal? We're freaky, from the naturalist perspective. Totally freaky. The MOST FREAKY animal EVER.
That's Human beings. We're the freaks that somehow exploded out upon the earth from a remote and isolated breeding ground. Which might have been in Australia, eh?
As one of them sheilas wot growed up under the gum trees, I forever knowed the true home of A-dam and Eave was the Aussie outback. Where better to hide the long-dead roots of that tree of knowledge than in the most lonely, god-forsaken desert of all?
To this day settlers in the outback commemorate them in their traditions.
The most holey site in the outback is still known of as A-dam. And our outback homes still live under the protection of strong, wide Eaves, otherwise known of as verandas.
However I take issue with you calling our fauna freaky. There is nothing odd about a bounding marsupial that actually creates, rather then loses, energy when it jumps.
There is nothing odd about a warm and furry duck-billed egg-layer that possesses deadly spines for the sole purpose of killing others of its own kind.
There is nothing freaky about a shy but beautiful fan-tailed bird that can convincingly imitate a lorry, a chainsaw, or the sound of any other denizen of the bush.
There is nothing freaky about a possum which shrieks curses like an inebriated Aussie politician or screams like a tortured baby outside your window or in your attic.
There is nothing freaky about a band of pink galahs which choose a particular person to harass, and learn that person's schedule, meeting him and joyfully pooping on him each day, then flapping off loudly laughing at his discomfort.
Our animals make sense. As much sense as I do!
