[JimBob (OP)]

Well is it, class?

      OR ?

[another_someone]

I think the answer has to be yes.

The question is really whether it is a colony of single celled animals or a unitary animal, and it seems to sit on the borderline between the two.

[DoctorBeaver]

The question is really whether it is a colony of single celled animals or a unitary animal, and it seems to sit on the borderline between the two.

I didn't know about that. Can you elucidate or post a link to more info?

[Carol-A]

http://www.siphonophores.org/SiphOrganization.php

I thought that this was quite a good link explaining how it can be thought of as both an individual and a collection of individuals!

[SquarishTriangle]

Well is it, class?

     OR ?

Nothing to do with the question, but I do wonder why someone might give a thumbs up with the right hand but a thumbs down with the left.

[another_someone]

Well is it, class?

      OR ?

Nothing to do with the question, but I do wonder why someone might give a thumbs up with the right hand but a thumbs down with the left.

Have a look at the etymology of the word 'sinister'.

[another_someone]

Incidentally, the question of what is a single organism applies to some extent to wider issues than merely siphonphores.

As the article that Carol quoted indicated, we can even ask the question with regard to humans and other organisms we regard as a single integrated animal (which is why I was arguing about the issue of intelligence has to be something we have to look at as being scalable, from single cell to super-organisms such as societies); but even when you look at an ant colony (where each of the ants will share the same DNA), is the organism the single ant, or is it the entire colony?

[neilep]

As a firm believer in empirical study I asked a Man 'O' War what it is :


 [ Invalid Attachment ]




Hmmmmm...methinks Man 'O' War has been using some online encyclopedia....the cheeky scamp !! []

[DoctorBeaver]

Well is it, class?

      OR ?

Nothing to do with the question, but I do wonder why someone might give a thumbs up with the right hand but a thumbs down with the left.

Have a look at the etymology of the word 'sinister'.

I don't need to - I already know...

From the Latin for "on the left". It passed into Middle English, via French, as SINISTRE, meaning "unfavourable". It has been, and still is to some extent, used by the Christian church to refer to Witchcraft and Satanism. It was possibly Madame Blavatsky, the founder of Theosophy, who coined the term "the left-hand path" to refer to Witchcraft & Satanism as a result of the church's use of the word "sinister".

[DoctorBeaver]

If anyone is interested in the origin of the thumbs-up & thumbs-down gestures, read this...

http://bernd.wechner.info/Hitchhiking/Thumb/

Don't blame the Romans!

[JimBob (OP)]

As a firm believer in empirical study I asked a Man 'O' War what it is :


 [ Invalid Attachment ]




Hmmmmm...methinks Man 'O' War has been using some online encyclopedia....the cheeky scamp !! []

AND THE WINNER IS NEIL! - He uses Google better than you others.

One polyp for the float

one polyp for the digestion

One Polyp for the tentacles

and Polyps for, for, for  - SEX!

[neilep]

AND THE WINNER IS NEIL! - He uses Google better than you others.

One polyp for the float

one polyp for the digestion

One Polyp for the tentacles

and Polyps for, for, for  - SEX!

*le Smug* []

[DoctorBeaver]

Polyp put the kettle on,
Polyp put the kettle on,
Polyp put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.

 []

[SquarishTriangle]

Well is it, class?

     OR ?

Nothing to do with the question, but I do wonder why someone might give a thumbs up with the right hand but a thumbs down with the left.

Have a look at the etymology of the word 'sinister'.

Very nice!

[SquarishTriangle]

Polyp put the kettle on,
Polyp put the kettle on,
Polyp put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.

 []

I've heard they prefer sea

[another_someone]

Well is it, class?

      OR ?

Nothing to do with the question, but I do wonder why someone might give a thumbs up with the right hand but a thumbs down with the left.

Have a look at the etymology of the word 'sinister'.

Very nice!

Not only 'sinister', but in every language I know (although there are far more that I do not know), the word 'right' is used both to mean 'good' or 'correct' as well as being the opposite of 'left'.