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Re: The answer is: neither
Posted By: Stephen L. (SoundEffect) <soundeffect@hotmail.com>	Date: 8/11/11 6:25 p.m.
In Response To: The answer is: neither (scarab) : Its a meaningless question to ask if they are mammals or reptiles. They : aren't descended from any species on earth so they don't fall into any : earth clade. : We categorize animals into groups based on shared derived features but we : also know that they inherit those features from a common ancestor. : But if we wanted to pretend that they were some long lost relative... : They look like vertebrates. : If we ignore the face and lack of external openings between the legs or in : that area in general... : Then we could say that they are some form of tetrapod . : They seem to have ribs but have a ribless gap around the abdomen and look : like they may breath using a diaphragm. That would suggest that they were : mammals. : They look like artiodactyls . : If you look at the naked Arbiter walking in the Mausoleum of the Arbiters you : will notice that he has odd heels. those could be the two outer digits, : shrunken like the equivalent digits in pigs, only now put to use as : strange heels. : The Elite thumbs could have evolved from the two reduced outer digits. Giving : them two "thumbs" and two fingers. : The face is strange but the jaws could be unfused branchial arches which : would be consistent with them being vertebrates. Though with no living : relatives on earth or any fossil record of their group. : But they can't be mammals unless they split from a mammal ancestor and it : seems unlikely that their jaws would be so radically different if they : had. : If you watch the h2 video were the Arbiter is dragged past some Jackals in : prison you will see a stain around his ass area. He either sat on : something or he may have a cloaca. This is a common vent for feces, urine, : and sperm or eggs. Fish and reptiles/birds have them as do the monotremes : . Looking at a Flood Elite's hand texture from Halo 1, Elites definitely have a bone skeleton. Let's see. What's in my Halo Bible about Elite physiology: ---Elites have nictitating membranes over their eyes. {GoO:p190} {Halo3} ---Normal human light levels are overly bright to the Elites. {TCP:p189} ---Elites have highly sensitive ears. {TF:p144) ---An Elite's skeleton is made of bone. {FS:p61} {H1GameData} ---Elites have a double heart. {GoO:p226} {TCP:p161} ---Blood color: purple; fluorescing, smelling of fresh tar. {FS:p201) {Halo1} {GoO:p343} ---Covenant races (particularly the Elites) have evolved a natural resistance to the radiation of their weaponry. {MonaLisa:p305} ---Elites have a greater lung capacity than Prophets. {CH:p379}

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Message Index

The Best and Worst Designed Alien Species	Toxic Mayhem	8/11/11 10:18 a.m.
Well, they're not terribly wrong... :P	Mid7night	8/11/11 10:34 a.m.
I was thinking about this the other day	Joony Joon	8/11/11 11:56 a.m.
Re: I was thinking about this the other day	pete_the_duck	8/11/11 11:59 a.m.
Re: I was thinking about this the other day	Joony Joon	8/11/11 12:04 p.m.
Re: I was thinking about this the other day	Mid7night	8/11/11 12:12 p.m.
Re: I was thinking about this the other day	bluerunner	8/11/11 12:17 p.m.
That was cold, man	ZackDark	8/11/11 12:18 p.m.
Re: I was thinking about this the other day	Joony Joon	8/11/11 12:19 p.m.
It helps to make them more alien	Moorpheusl9	8/11/11 1:41 p.m.
Question about Elites	Joony Joon	8/11/11 3:13 p.m.
Re: Question about Elites	oddworld	8/11/11 3:44 p.m.
The answer is: neither	scarab	8/11/11 5:06 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	8/11/11 6:25 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	scarab	8/11/11 7:09 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	Sl'askia	8/12/11 12:43 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	General Vagueness	8/12/11 5:48 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	Sl'askia	8/13/11 12:58 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	scarab	8/12/11 11:41 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	Sl'askia	8/13/11 1:16 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	scarab	8/13/11 2:21 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	Sl'askia	8/13/11 2:36 p.m.
Just me, or is this thread getting creepy?	NsU Soldier	8/13/11 2:47 p.m.
Just you :-) *NM*	scarab	8/13/11 2:52 p.m.
For the sake of accuracy	Sl'askia	8/13/11 2:56 p.m.
Re: For the sake of accuracy	NsU Soldier	8/13/11 8:11 p.m.
Don't worry	Sl'askia	8/14/11 12:00 p.m.
Re: Don't worry	Sl'askia	8/14/11 12:01 p.m.
Re: The answer is: neither	Lurono	8/13/11 8:12 p.m.
NSF(NsU Soldier)	scarab	8/14/11 4:31 a.m.
Re: NSF(NsU Soldier)	Sl'askia	8/14/11 11:55 a.m.
Grunts are awesome...	Leviathan	8/11/11 1:41 p.m.
Nope	ZackDark	8/11/11 11:08 p.m.
Re: Nope	Leviathan	8/11/11 11:40 p.m.
It's cool	ZackDark	8/12/11 7:14 a.m.
Re: The Best and Worst Designed Alien Species	General Vagueness	8/11/11 4:04 p.m.
Re: The Best and Worst Designed Alien Species	Quirel	8/12/11 12:37 a.m.
Re: The Best and Worst Designed Alien Species	Flynn J Taggart	8/11/11 6:31 p.m.
Re: The Best and Worst Designed Alien Species	Harmanimus	8/11/11 9:50 p.m.
+1	ZackDark	8/11/11 11:12 p.m.
Re: The Best and Worst Designed Alien Species	Flynn J Taggart	8/12/11 2:54 a.m.
Re: The Best and Worst Designed Alien Species	General Vagueness	8/12/11 11:08 a.m.