# "Life ... uh ... finds a way." **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715 "2018-07-28T02:40:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/41 "2018-07-29T01:43:53Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Hammond wanted a hands-off approach to keeping track of them. In the movie, Arnold took this rather literally. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/42 "2018-07-29T02:27:46Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > More weirdness: Some reef fish are hierarchical, with a female at the top. When the female dies, and if a male is ‘second in line’, the male will turn into a female. Really changes the plot line of Finding Nemo (Clownfish exhibit this feature). ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2018, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/43 "2018-07-29T12:26:58Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > If dinosaurs were like modern birds, then they undoubtedly use the [ZW sex-determination system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZW_sex-determination_system), where the female is the heterogametic sex. Instead of XX = female and XY = male like it mammals, birds use ZZ = male and ZW = female. Hence a female bird (and probably a dinosaur) can produce both male and female offspring even if it reproduces via parthenogenesis. As an aside to this, one weird side effect of this, as female birds effectively have the male genes as well, is that sometimes female birds will have an apparent spontaneous sex change. My mother’s had two pheasants which did just that, of two different species. Both were fertile females, had offspring, then suddenly after one moult regrew male plumage. One, a Himalayan monal, was completely indistinguishable from the male, the other, a golden pheasant, had perfect male plumage but the eye colour is different in males and females of that species and that didn’t change. Neither tried to mate with females (the only other monals at the time were that one’s former mate and adult son, so the monal never got the chance anyway), but it’d be very unlikely for them to have been fertile as males. It’s apparently most common with elderly birds, they can stop producing female hormones. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/44 "2018-07-30T12:24:37Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > As an aside to this, one weird side effect of this, as female birds effectively have the male genes as well, is that sometimes female birds will have an apparent spontaneous sex change. > > My mother’s had two pheasants which did just that, of two different species. Both were fertile females, had offspring, then suddenly after one moult regrew male plumage. One, a Himalayan monal, was completely indistinguishable from the male, the other, a golden pheasant, had perfect male plumage but the eye colour is different in males and females of that species and that didn’t change. > > Neither tried to mate with females (the only other monals at the time were that one’s former mate and adult son, so the monal never got the chance anyway), but it’d be very unlikely for them to have been fertile as males. It’s apparently most common with elderly birds, they can stop producing female hormones. We had a chicken that did much the same. Laid eggs for years and then one year she started crowing and growing spurs. It’s often a side affect of ovarian cancer in poultry and she died a few months later at the grand old age of 9. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/45 "2018-07-30T13:14:48Z")
Wow, 9 is quite the old age for a chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/46 "2018-07-30T18:00:32Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > Where did the _original_ fertilized eggs come from? When that raptor chick hatched out of its egg in front of Grant’s party, what had fertilized that egg? In the book, it says that the eggs are plastic, and embryos are mechanically inserted into them. The eggshells are very noticeably different from the eggs produced in the wild: in the lab they look like ostrich eggs, though oddly textured and colored, while the “wild” eggs are more elongated, like crocodile eggs. Incidentally, I just bought the Kindle book when it was on sale for like $2, and checked the “counting” scene: there were supposed to be 238 animals, but when the system was told to check for 239, it found 239. They increment some more, ultimately asking it to search for 300, and it counts 292, including 37 velociraptors when there were supposed to be 8. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/47 "2018-07-30T18:08:46Z")
> [@Daddypants](#): > > In the movie it’s mentioned that there are some frogs, or turtles, or something (I forget) that have been known to change sex in the absence of males or females in the population (I have no idea if that’s factual or not). It’s also mentioned that the dinosaur’s DNA is mixed with frog of some kind. Therefore, the dinos “found a way.” Turtles weren’t mentioned in either the book or the movie, but turtles would add another possibility. For many turtle species, whether an egg will produce a male or a female depends on the temperature at which it is incubated. In some species, the female can shift the ratio of male to female in her clutch by choosing how deeply to bury them. > [@Kobal2](#): > > . . . Because T-Rex was hella cool before we figured out it most probably was a carrion feeder. > . . . . I think they’ve discovered enough healed/healing T-Rex bites in large herbivore species to disprove the idea that T-Rex only ate carrion. Now the ratio of hunting to scavenging is something that can be argued indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/48 "2018-07-30T18:10:46Z")
> [@Daddypants](#): > > In the movie it’s mentioned that there are some frogs, or turtles, or something (I forget) that have been known to change sex in the absence of males or females in the population (I have no idea if that’s factual or not). It’s also mentioned that the dinosaur’s DNA is mixed with frog of some kind. Therefore, the dinos “found a way.” Sure. But then, having this rarity occur in many species? Not bloody likely. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/49 "2018-07-30T19:53:51Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Incidentally, I just bought the Kindle book when it was on sale for like $2, and checked the “counting” scene: there were supposed to be 238 animals, but when the system was told to check for 239, it found 239. They increment some more, ultimately asking it to search for 300, and it counts 292, including 37 velociraptors when there were supposed to be 8. I knew there was a 300 in there _somewhere!_ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/50 "2018-07-30T20:20:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I knew there was a 300 in there _somewhere!_ 😛 Sparta! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/51 "2018-07-30T20:53:54Z")
I don’t think there’s any animal known in the real world that eats carrion but doesn’t kill its own prey, or vice-versa. All carnivores are both predators and scavengers. Though, as mentioned, the ratios may vary. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/52 "2018-07-30T21:42:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t think there’s any animal known in the real world that eats carrion but doesn’t kill its own prey, or vice-versa. All carnivores are both predators and scavengers. Though, as mentioned, the ratios may vary. Vultures are damn close. They’ll snap up the odd insect, maybe an unlucky lizard if they get the chance, but so will a cow, and we don’t call them predators. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/53 "2018-08-01T00:52:29Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure. But then, having this rarity occur in many species? Not bloody likely. _Shrug_ If they used the same frog on all of them, and had to fill in similar bits, then it would be very likely to occur in all of them. The likelihood would mostly be down to the choice of frog. Not that we have any idea at all whether dinosaurs shifted sex. That wouldn’t fossilize. It’s been too long since I read the book for me to remember whether all of the neo-dinos were reproducing or if it was just a few of the revived species. And now I’m having an urge to call them frankendinos, since they were a mix. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/54 "2018-08-01T01:46:52Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Vultures are damn close. They’ll snap up the odd insect, maybe an unlucky lizard if they get the chance, but so will a cow, and we don’t call them predators. If a cow ever got the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about! ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/55 "2018-08-01T08:14:06Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > If a cow ever got the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about! Farside cartoons belong in cafe society. ---
**Author:** ![Textual\_Innuendo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@Textual\_Innuendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Textual_Innuendo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/56 "2018-08-01T15:25:11Z")
Not that it matters much, but I believe that one came from the esteemed Troy Mclure of Simpsons fame rather than our honored friend Mr. Larson. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/57 "2018-08-01T15:43:54Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > You know, that never sat right with me because it’s so contrived, from a coding point of view. As in, you have to add useless code for the count to stop at 300, instead of just “If NonTalliedDinosaur()=true then TotalCount++ ; printf TotalCount” which is what any slacker, I mean coder, would do even if they had zero foresight or inkling the dinosaurs might start bumping cloacas on the sly. It’s just pointless to add a hardcap to the count ! It doesn’t speed up the count or make it run smoother or nothing. It merely allows dinosaurs to reproduce on the down low. Dinosaurs code in COBOL. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/58 "2018-08-01T15:57:15Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Dinosaurs code in COBOL. ‘Appropriate,’ sez the guy who programs in Easytrieve. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/59 "2018-08-01T16:52:28Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > It’s been too long since I read the book for me to remember whether all of the neo-dinos were reproducing or if it was just a few of the revived species. Well, here’s what the chart said in the book: **Species…Expected…Found** Tyrannosaurs…2…2 Maiasaurs…21…22 Stegosaurs…4…4 Triceratops…8…8 Procompsognathids…49…65 Othnielia…16…23 Velociraptors…8…37 Apatosaurs…17…17 Hadrosaurs…11…11 Dilophosaurs…7…7 Pterosaurs…6…6 Hypsilophodontids…33…34 Euoplocephalids…16…16 Styracosaurs…18…18 Microceratops…22…22 Hope that comes out readable, the “code” tag wasn’t cooperating so I did this in Courier. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715/60 "2018-08-01T17:17:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > If a cow ever got the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about! > [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Well, here’s what the chart said in the book: > > **Species…Expected…Found** > Tyrannosaurs…2…2 > Maiasaurs…21…22 > Stegosaurs…4…4 > Triceratops…8…8 > Procompsognathids…49…65 > Othnielia…16…23 > Velociraptors…8…37 > Apatosaurs…17…17 > Hadrosaurs…11…11 > Dilophosaurs…7…7 > Pterosaurs…6…6 > Hypsilophodontids…33…34 > Euoplocephalids…16…16 > Styracosaurs…18…18 > Microceratops…22…22 > > Hope that comes out readable, the “code” tag wasn’t cooperating so I did this in Courier. Thanks! So, five out of fifteen reproduced. Well, had reproduced already. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-uh-finds-a-way/818715.md?page=4)