Comment on Whales is whales
But manatees are sea cows
They are called sea cows, but they’re really sea elephants? I hope I’m not terribly wrong.
Why elephants? I mean whales are not cows just by looking at what they eat. In that way manatees eating mostly sea plants are closer to being cows. Are they not?
I think it’s a joke about manatees having evolved from the same land-based ancestor as elephants, making them pretty literally “sea elephants”.
Yes, I was referring to the evolutionary aspects, not the ecological ones :)
Interesting. Just like the actual closest living relative to the elephant looks like a malnourished beaver
angrystego@lemmy.world 1 year ago
They are called sea cows, but they’re really sea elephants? I hope I’m not terribly wrong.
Wizard_Pope@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Why elephants? I mean whales are not cows just by looking at what they eat. In that way manatees eating mostly sea plants are closer to being cows. Are they not?
shuzuko@midwest.social 1 year ago
I think it’s a joke about manatees having evolved from the same land-based ancestor as elephants, making them pretty literally “sea elephants”.
angrystego@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Yes, I was referring to the evolutionary aspects, not the ecological ones :)
Wizard_Pope@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Interesting. Just like the actual closest living relative to the elephant looks like a malnourished beaver