Romeo Could do This!

Apparently the British are already aware of the situation I pointed out in an earlier post.

Romeo's Thumbs and the Future of Felines

Romeo is a polydactyl cat.  He has one extra toe on each front paw. These cats are common on the East Coast, so are sometimes called Boston Thumb Cats.  Hemingway favored this kind of cat, so it is sometimes called a Hemingway Cat.  (Thanks to Julie & Dave for this info.)

 One of the many six-toed cats at the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West, Florida.

The extra thumbs are not necessarily a disadvantage; they can give the kitty extra dexterity.  I believe the polydactyl cat's extra dexterity (and Hemingway's favor) will allow it to eventually take over the feline kingdom.  In a thousand years, cats will have paws capable of making tools.  Then, I have no doubt, the kitties will build a sophisticated material culture.

 Ultra-civilized felines of the future. 
Artist's conception.

Big Heads? Bad Idea!

In the world of old science fiction (60s and earlier) your super-advanced aliens and your super-evolved human beings usually have big heads, like Gwyllim Griffiths (top) in the Outer Limits episode The Sixth Finger or like the aliens from the Star Trek episode The Menagerie

It makes sense.  Our pre-human ancestors had smaller brains, so our descendents a zillion years from now should have gigantic brains.  But I notice that these beings pictured above still have spindly necks like the current homo sapien.  How could a neck that thin support all that extra brain and skull?  I say it couldn't.  If we want to grow bigger brains, we must concurrently grow thicker, more muscular necks.

However, there is another evolution solution.  We now know that the brain isn't the only place with neurons; just look in your gut.  The gut brain rests on a solid base and could safely grow much bigger.  This is the place for brain evolution.  Guts are the thinkers of tomorrow!