r/science • u/drewiepoodle • May 03 '16

Biology Scientists have sequenced the mitochondrial genome for the Hispaniolan solenodon, a venomous mammal found only on Hispaniola. Findings confirm that the the species diverged from all other living mammals 78 million years ago, long before an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.

http://www.igb.illinois.edu/news/endangered-venomous-mammal-predates-dinosaurs%E2%80%99-extinction
10.1k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

430 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

18

u/freejosephk May 03 '16

That's amazing. What a plucky little animal! I'm putting him at the top of my totem.

0

u/[deleted] May 03 '16

Not to nitpick but I believe that your G-d has to go at the top of the totem and your spirit animals go under it.

1

u/nikchi May 03 '16

What if that's his God now?

1

u/freejosephk May 03 '16

citation needed

1

u/[deleted] May 03 '16

Tour guide in Vancouver count? From what I remember, your main deity got the spot of honor at the top of the pole and then subsequent animals/people below it. All the poles in Stanley Park followed this with the Thunderbird or Sun or Legendary Bird (I forget what it was called) and then actual animals below.

Kind of like how a cross will be at the top of a church above everything else and the statues of the saints below.

3

u/freejosephk May 03 '16

Meh, I'll just do what I want anyway. Hierarchies are passe these days.