Taxonomy
Taxonomy is at best an incomplete record showing how species relate to one another. Filling in those gaps has long been the work of adventurous scientists, intent on discovering new forms of life. New species are added constantly, though there are still vast areas of the web of life left to map out.
The records are not without their anomalies too. Fossil evidence is often misinterpreted as revealing a whole new species, but when further information becomes available these hypotheses are shown to be false. Where information is still missing, distantly related species can sometimes be found appearing adjacent to each other in scientific classification, for the convenience of showing a common ancestor. In medieval times, mythological creatures would be presented alongside animals from foreign lands, as both were often drawn from travellers’ accounts that were a little too readily accepted.
Most people will have seen only a fraction of the species commonly acknowledged. The reality of their existence is seemingly irrefutable.
Despite never seeing these creatures with our own eyes, we trust this evidence presented to satisfy our curiosity.
The records are not without their anomalies too. Fossil evidence is often misinterpreted as revealing a whole new species, but when further information becomes available these hypotheses are shown to be false. Where information is still missing, distantly related species can sometimes be found appearing adjacent to each other in scientific classification, for the convenience of showing a common ancestor. In medieval times, mythological creatures would be presented alongside animals from foreign lands, as both were often drawn from travellers’ accounts that were a little too readily accepted.
Most people will have seen only a fraction of the species commonly acknowledged. The reality of their existence is seemingly irrefutable.
Despite never seeing these creatures with our own eyes, we trust this evidence presented to satisfy our curiosity.