Comments on: NCBI ROFL: Geese: the pack animals of the future. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/03/03/ncbi-rofl-geese-the-pack-animals-of-the-future/ Quirky, funny, and surprising science news from the edge of the known universe. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:13:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: TheBrummell http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/03/03/ncbi-rofl-geese-the-pack-animals-of-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-32496 TheBrummell Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:40:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/?p=6872#comment-32496 When they say "more economically than the majority of mammals", what is their comparison based on? Smaller bodies can carry proportionally more of their own weight as an additional load, so are they comparing these geese to the measured load-carrying-ability of similar-sized mammals, or the much larger bodied species typically used to carry loads? As far as I know, the majority of mammals, both in species numbers and numbers of individuals, are rodents, almost all of which would be smaller than geese. Where's the dataset of (literal) pack-rats? Also, I second the above sentiment that this seems a less mock-worthy study than the majority on this website. When they say “more economically than the majority of mammals”, what is their comparison based on? Smaller bodies can carry proportionally more of their own weight as an additional load, so are they comparing these geese to the measured load-carrying-ability of similar-sized mammals, or the much larger bodied species typically used to carry loads? As far as I know, the majority of mammals, both in species numbers and numbers of individuals, are rodents, almost all of which would be smaller than geese. Where’s the dataset of (literal) pack-rats?

Also, I second the above sentiment that this seems a less mock-worthy study than the majority on this website.

]]> By: Mokele http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/03/03/ncbi-rofl-geese-the-pack-animals-of-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-32115 Mokele Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:45:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/?p=6872#comment-32115 How is this "ROFL"-worthy? It takes about 2 brain cells to see that potential ecological relevance of this in several possible ways (cost of eggs beyond simple calories in them, cost of accumulating fat stores for migration, cost of bigger pectoral muscles). You want something to mock, look up anything published by Alan Feduccia How is this “ROFL”-worthy? It takes about 2 brain cells to see that potential ecological relevance of this in several possible ways (cost of eggs beyond simple calories in them, cost of accumulating fat stores for migration, cost of bigger pectoral muscles).

You want something to mock, look up anything published by Alan Feduccia

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