Page 7 - Fables volume 1

How the Fish Decided to Bypass Evolution

Satisfied that all were once against breathing properly, she turned on
Gagarin. “That was uncalled for! My poor little dears could have
suffocated!”
“Oh, they can take a few seconds out of water,” said the director
nonchalantly. “Now they know more about my project than I could
explain in words. Perhaps you would like to know more…”
The teacher glared at him in silence, but Freddy spoke up. “Sir!
How can you expect any fish ever to survive up there?”
Gagarin indicated the two salmon resting nearby. “Obviously, our
best swimmers are still unequal to the task. These fellows tried leaping
out of the water, to force their bodies to breathe dry air. Now they
have to spend a couple of days recuperating. No single fish is going to
make it on his own. We need to evolve into land-creatures slowly, by
means of intermediate forms. These will be developed by mating
individuals who display some of the desired traits, such as locomotion
with rigid fins, retention of breath for long periods, and resistance to
variations in external temperature.”
“But those intermediate forms,” asked the teacher, curious despite
herself. “How will they be able to compete effectively for food in our
old environment? They won’t really fit in here, either.”
“Ah, yes, that is a problem. We will have to nurture those artificial
types until their descendants are completely suited to some sort of dry
land existence. It is also possible that some of the amphibians will find
permanent niches.”
The school looked at their instructor. These were concepts they had
not yet learned. She appeared flustered by the proceedings, as well.
“Could you explain what that last sentence means?” she finally said,
with dignity.’
“Certainly. We may go through a series of steps to arrive at a fish
that spends only part of its time in water, feeds in water, lays its eggs
in water, and so forth. Those creatures may be able to exist
independently, unlike their immediate predecessors—whom we will
have had to coddle and protect. The successful amphibious species
will naturally want to go ahead with breeding descendants able to live
entirely out of water; so they will have to repeat the same process we
are engaged in here. Then fish will rule the land as well as the sea. Is
that clear?”

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