What a strange creature…but at least it’s intelligent enough to be modest (and to find a sign with which to declaim its abomination-of-nature status), somehow.
Lynnaisays
okay my knee jerk reaction to that is, if an elephant had tenticles for legs but thost tenticles were very like the typical trunk surely say beast would have more tusks too.
No I don’t expect that to make sense to anybody as I’m not sure it makes sense to me, but I think it would look nifty with an ivory tu-tu.
It’s slimy, yet furry and squeaky;
I think you’ll agree that it’s freaky;
But beyond all dispute
Is the fact that it’s cute–
And I found it in Thessaloniki!
cosays
Whalezykrill and rayzykrill and liddle lamzy divey,
octophants lack ivory tutu, wouldn’t you?
The Octophant is the work of Chicago artist Phineas X. Jones, who has been coming out with an astounding series of screen print posters. More stuff like this at octophant.us.
“See! A mixture of elephant and octopus! This proves evolution false!”
“Uh, Bob? It’s just a picture.”
“How dare you insult me — of course I know it is a picture. What of it, the holy Gospel is a text, and it’s still infallibly true — why should a picture be any different?”
“Well —”
“Don’t answer rhetorical questions. Now, did you see the dread biologist himself was struck speechless by this Thing? Not a word of comment on it!”
“Um —”
“Silence! It is a great Thing! Though I think the title tries to imply I am gay, which I don’t like.”
Richard Harrissays
Wait till PETA hears about this.
JenWolfsays
Oy, Cuttlefish! I am good friends with the artist who created the squid-rat. The original artwork is here. I’m not sure he knows about this sign in Greece, I’ll have to show it to him. I don’t know if he’ll be pleased or pissed.
Dahansays
Finally! Proof positive of an intermediary species.
Octophant? This looks like something Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron would come up with; they’re famous for the “crocoduck.
David Marjanović, OMsays
My day is saved.
kerengsays
It started long ago with the huge GIGANT.
The TWELPHANT was still bigger than the ELEPHANT of our days.
The OCTOPHANT is an animal of the future, about the size of an octopus. The succession of phants will come to an end with the tiny NULLPHANT.
If it’s gluing animals together you’re after – i have a bit of a history
But, shhh, don’t tell PZ – there are one or two biological inexatitudes :)
Laurelsays
Ooparts, I’m pretty sure “I should not be” is a reference to the Simpsons ep called HOMR, which contained the following:
Homer: Please, turn me back into the blissful boob I was.
Scientist: Sorry, we don’t play god here.
Homer: Huh? You do nothing but play god! And I think your octo-parrot would agree with me.
Octo-Parrot: Awk! Polly shouldn’t be!
JHSsays
I think I’m going append “The Improbable” to my name, too.
One Eyed Jacksays
Octophants would be tooooo cool!
If the universe were created by a designer, how could He/She/It not make something so simply awesome!
The fact that we don’t have octophants speaks strongly that there is no designer.
Bubba Sixpacksays
That should be the logo of our current unregulated Wall Street. A multi-tentacled monster grasping at tax-payers’ money, via their sponsors, the Repub elephants. A monster that that has no logical basis for existence, but exists nonetheless.
Brad Dsays
Something went wrong with the HOX genes right?
DrFranksays
Something went wrong with the HOX genes right?
Or wonderfully right, depending on your viewpoint ;)
Ticktockmansays
I like the sound of “octopotamus” better, a creature coined by a friend’s 4 year old. Rolls right off the tongue (and over your station wagon).
MRL says
What a strange creature…but at least it’s intelligent enough to be modest (and to find a sign with which to declaim its abomination-of-nature status), somehow.
Lynnai says
okay my knee jerk reaction to that is, if an elephant had tenticles for legs but thost tenticles were very like the typical trunk surely say beast would have more tusks too.
No I don’t expect that to make sense to anybody as I’m not sure it makes sense to me, but I think it would look nifty with an ivory tu-tu.
Cuttlefish, OM says
And how would one frighten such an elephant? You might not have seen, but I found this cute little guy just a few months ago in Greece:
It’s slimy, yet furry and squeaky;
I think you’ll agree that it’s freaky;
But beyond all dispute
Is the fact that it’s cute–
And I found it in Thessaloniki!
co says
Whalezykrill and rayzykrill and liddle lamzy divey,
octophants lack ivory tutu, wouldn’t you?
Where’s our poet laureate?
co says
Oh, there he is.
jima says
The Octophant is the work of Chicago artist Phineas X. Jones, who has been coming out with an astounding series of screen print posters. More stuff like this at octophant.us.
Masks of Eris says
“See! A mixture of elephant and octopus! This proves evolution false!”
“Uh, Bob? It’s just a picture.”
“How dare you insult me — of course I know it is a picture. What of it, the holy Gospel is a text, and it’s still infallibly true — why should a picture be any different?”
“Well —”
“Don’t answer rhetorical questions. Now, did you see the dread biologist himself was struck speechless by this Thing? Not a word of comment on it!”
“Um —”
“Silence! It is a great Thing! Though I think the title tries to imply I am gay, which I don’t like.”
Richard Harris says
Wait till PETA hears about this.
JenWolf says
Oy, Cuttlefish! I am good friends with the artist who created the squid-rat. The original artwork is here. I’m not sure he knows about this sign in Greece, I’ll have to show it to him. I don’t know if he’ll be pleased or pissed.
Dahan says
Finally! Proof positive of an intermediary species.
Cuttlefish, OM says
JenWolf @#9–
Thank you very much!
I see there are more there, too–
The “squow” is lovely.
Ooparts says
“I should not be”
Hahaha
Ted Dahlberg says
That’s the most awesome (in any sense of the word you care to name) thing I have seen in a year and a day.
Nick Gotts says
This genetic engineering stuff is really getting out of hand – I mean trunk – I mean tentacle – erm, trunkacle?
No BS says
This idea came to me on the way to see Religulous. PZ if you see this and like it, grab it.
http://www.postyourimage.com/view_image.php?img_id=2rrbLj2DjyFplh1223224857
rufustfirefly says
Octophant? This looks like something Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron would come up with; they’re famous for the “crocoduck.
David Marjanović, OM says
My day is saved.
kereng says
It started long ago with the huge GIGANT.
The TWELPHANT was still bigger than the ELEPHANT of our days.
The OCTOPHANT is an animal of the future, about the size of an octopus. The succession of phants will come to an end with the tiny NULLPHANT.
(according to Christian Morgenstern)
amon says
If it’s gluing animals together you’re after – i have a bit of a history
But, shhh, don’t tell PZ – there are one or two biological inexatitudes :)
Laurel says
Ooparts, I’m pretty sure “I should not be” is a reference to the Simpsons ep called HOMR, which contained the following:
Homer: Please, turn me back into the blissful boob I was.
Scientist: Sorry, we don’t play god here.
Homer: Huh? You do nothing but play god! And I think your octo-parrot would agree with me.
Octo-Parrot: Awk! Polly shouldn’t be!
JHS says
I think I’m going append “The Improbable” to my name, too.
One Eyed Jack says
Octophants would be tooooo cool!
If the universe were created by a designer, how could He/She/It not make something so simply awesome!
The fact that we don’t have octophants speaks strongly that there is no designer.
Bubba Sixpack says
That should be the logo of our current unregulated Wall Street. A multi-tentacled monster grasping at tax-payers’ money, via their sponsors, the Repub elephants. A monster that that has no logical basis for existence, but exists nonetheless.
Brad D says
Something went wrong with the HOX genes right?
DrFrank says
Something went wrong with the HOX genes right?
Or wonderfully right, depending on your viewpoint ;)
Ticktockman says
I like the sound of “octopotamus” better, a creature coined by a friend’s 4 year old. Rolls right off the tongue (and over your station wagon).
-TTm