Way of preciving things

[vizzle]

You know thats only half of how evolution works?
Our DNA is slowly changing every one of us based on current situations.
Granted being born with two heads out of nowhere is way too fast to be considered evolution. But it doesnt happen as fast as you think.

If there is no need for two heads, evolution won't go in that direction.

[Cowt]

For me it depends on how it developed, and how it's working for them/it on a technical level.

Two separate brains does not necessarily mean it's two beings. It may be one brain divided into two.

However, this does simply seem to be a case of two co-joined twins. It's just impossible to tell from a picture of it's physical appearance.

What it's not, is a new species. It would have to be able to pass on this unique property through mating, for me to consider it another species.

[Runeforged]

That's actually a pretty tough biological question, not really how we perceive things. On one hand, they are two separate brains, each capable of thinking for itself. On the other hand, they likely would not survive if one of the heads were amputated, so the fact that it can't live without the other might make it one organism.

[Deleted]

1 delicious kabob.

But what if there's meat for 2 kabobs?

For me it depends on how it developed, and how it's working for them/it on a technical level.

Two separate brains does not necessarily mean it's two beings. It may be one brain divided into two.

However, this does simply seem to be a case of two co-joined twins. It's just impossible to tell from a picture of it's physical appearance.

What it's not, is a new species. It would have to be able to pass on this unique property through mating, for me to consider it another species.

But since said conjoined rat hasn't made babies yet, how do we know it won't pass its advantage further on?

That's actually a pretty tough biological question, not really how we perceive things. On one hand, they are two separate brains, each capable of thinking for itself. On the other hand, they likely would not survive if one of the heads were amputated, so the fact that it can't live without the other might make it one organism.

It's also a how people perceive things, as you might have seen that people voted for both 1 rat and 2 rats and a new species, so people see the problem differently. And there will also be a conclusion to this.

It's one being with two conciousnesses. It moves, most likely, with one head controling certain parts while the other controls the rest. They work togerher and adapt to their situation. Thier is actually a human with two heads right now, "she's" pretty cute too.

As this is the second time this was mentioned I googled it and found a documentary of it. It's quite interesting, though it's sad to see they do have some back problems because of this and a lot of unwanted attention. I also disliked seeing some of the doctors talking about them as if they're some science experiment they want to run tests on... that's just annoying, they're not lab rats. What I found funny though is that they're born in same year as me, lol. I do wonder though if they got a job now how does it work with salaries, do they get payed 2, 1 or 1.5 so to say as... no matter how you treat it, their situation is indeed unique.

[Gheld]

So I will give you all a question, you should respond with the answer you think is right, and say why.



This is a rat with 2 heads. Each had controls the 1 body. It is 1 being as it's merged, but it is 2 beings as both heads think separate. It was once 1 cell, it tried to split into 2 but didn't split fully.

Is this 1 rat or two rats or something else entirely? Why?

It's a readily explained medical phenomenon that doesn't warrant so much discussion.

[Deleted]

It's a readily explained medical phenomenon that doesn't warrant so much discussion.

So what? Most news brought to this site have already been talked in detail elsewhere. I want to know if people think it's one or two rats or a new species. And I think it does need discussion, but not because of the rat(s) it(them)selves, but for a whole other reason which I will reveal soon. I only used this "mutation" because it fits perfectly with what I want to prove, and this, as I see, is already illustrated by the votes.

[bekilrwale]

It is a single creature, a rat with one body. However, it has 2 separate brains which means the creature has two separate consciences.

[Darkavious]

2 rats, one body, a conjoined rat if you will.

[Drekker17]

A rat with a mutation. 2 brains and personalities, but still just one body.

[Sylvre]

57.89% of respondents need to go retake high school biology.

Oh and just out of curiosity, how exactly do you "merge" two rats together. Do you just squish really really hard?

[ryotte]

I say two rats, because if it/they were human, the term we'd use would be "conjoined twins". Twins meaning two. Yes, there are humans with two heads (and some have multiples of other body parts/organs as well). A well-known case of conjoined twins who basically have two heads and one body are Abigail and Brittany Hensel. They have two personalities, two trains of thought...two driver's licenses.

Conjoined twins happen all the time in different species. To call this particular two-headed rat "evolution" is far-fetched and short-sighted. Unless it has already bred and produced two-headed offspring, then it's just like any other case of conjoined twins in the animal kingdom. It's a mutation. It happens.

[Deleted]

2 rats sharing a lower body. They both have a consciousness, but the lower body is shared, they both feel it and will have to compromise in order to move effectively. As they get to know each other better through time that should work, but I digress.

[Deleted]

57.89% of respondents need to go retake high school biology.

Oh and just out of curiosity, how exactly do you "merge" two rats together. Do you just squish really really hard?

Nope, with glue silly.

That said, I don't think anyone needs to retake high school biology. I'll soon explain why, but your type of response was exactly what I was expecting after a while of discussion. As I said, this is not about the picture, but about perceiving things, that's why the thread is named as such and there's an actual morale to it.

[Deleted]

It looks too wide to be a single rat with two heads to be honest... I will go with 2 merged rats.

[Larynx]

Now picture this being a human instead of a rat.

[Wolfbear]

It all just scares me so very very much.

[Powerogue]

2 brains - two "personalities" - two rats

I'll go with this. Similar how when you have two people who didn't quite separate at birth, if the surgery is successful you now have two humans. So I'd say it was two people from the beginning.

Now picture this being a human instead of a rat.

[IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SOzaDoZAcRE/TbH9KCr4ReI/AAAAAAAAABM/LnQ6_r-rUWg/s1600/abby_and_brittany_hensel.jpeg[IMG]

I didn't need the nightmare fuel though. >.< It was perfectly fine metaphorically.

[Deleted]

Now picture this being a human instead of a rat.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SOzaDoZAcR...ny_hensel.jpeg

You're entering into the topic of "do we see humans and animals differently?, and you're close to what I want to prove, but it so happens that you're not close enough, I didn't pick them for a reason since it would have been too controversial. A rat is different.

Plus, they're not that bad, saw the documentary, they seem to live life to its fullest, I do imagine they will have problems finding men since they did say they want to marry and have kids one day, but besides that they're regular humans in personality, they just had the misfortune of being 2 in one body.

[paralleluniverse]

An ogre-rat.

[Catta]

57.89% of respondents need to go retake high school biology.

Oh and just out of curiosity, how exactly do you "merge" two rats together. Do you just squish really really hard?

You should have listened to high school biology instead...

The two others have nothing to do with a rat with two heads - its not a mutation and certainly not a new species - its just a malfunction in the growth of the fetus - it being 2 rats is the most correct of those statements as it can be discussed while the others are just plain wrong