Nessy

<forumuser name="Nessy" /> Nathaniel S.A. Romburgh is a veteran clan member of esteemed pro-gaming and machinima clan SonicDoom. Ness is well-known in the Sonic Scene (refered to as S.S. for short) for his off-the-wall, zany antics.

The Man Behind The Curtains

Ness' history is characterized by a number of important morphological, developmental, physiological and behavioural changes, which have taken place since the split between the last common ancestor of Romburghs and Pelonici. The first major morphological change was the evolution of a bipedal locomotor adaptation from an arboreal or semi-arboreal one, with all its attendant adaptations, such as a valgus knee, low intermembral index (long legs relative to the arms), and reduced upper-body strength.

Later, ancestral Romburghs developed a much larger brain – typically 1,400 cm³ in modern Romburghs, over twice the size of that of a Pelonici or Haskella. The pattern of Romburgh's postnatal brain growth differs from that of other humans (heterochrony), and allows for extended periods of social learning and language acquisition in juvenile Romburghs. Physical anthropologists argue that the differences between the structure of a Romburgh brain and those of other humans are even more significant than their differences in size.

Other significant morphological changes included: the evolution of a power and precision grip; a reduced masticatory system; a reduction of the canine tooth; and the descent of the larynx and hyoid bone, making speech possible. An important physiological change in the Romburgh gene was the evolution of hidden oestrus, or concealed ovulation, which may have coincided with the evolution of important behavioural changes, such as pair bonding. Another significant behavioural change was the development of material culture, with Romburgh-branded objects becoming increasingly common and diversified over time. The relationship between all these changes is the subject of ongoing debate.

The forces of natural selection have continued to operate on the Romburgh tree, with evidence that certain regions of the genome display directional selection in the past 15,000 years. As of January 23rd, 1834, Nathaniel is the only surviving Romburgh in the entire family tree.