RubySoho
Winston
Evolution Is Happening Right Before Our Eyes
July 16th 2008 03:58
In May of this year the Tasmanian Government announced that it was placing the Tasmanian devil on the endangered list due to an outbreak of a cancer peculiar to that species. The cancer, known as devil facial tumour disease (DFTD):
"is a bizarre infectious cancer in which the tumour cells are the infectious agent. It is not a virus.
Only one other similar cancer, canine transmissible venereal tumour, is known in the wild. DFTD cells can be transmitted between devils because of extraordinarily low genetic diversity in devil populations. Devils are so similar genetically that they are unable to recognise tumour cells from another individual as being "non-self".
The fatal disease, which first appeared in 1996, infects the animals at a young age and causes death between the ages of two and three. Since healthy devils generally live to the ages of five or six and breed between at the ages of two, three and four, the disease was decimating the population before they could produce offspring, with even those females who mated at the age of two not living long enough to actually rear their first litter. The devastating result being that the Tasmanian devil population has decreased by more than 50% since 2006 leading to grave fears for the long-term survival of the famous species, with some zoologists predicting extinction within 25 years.
the horrific effects of DFTD
And then just this week comes this piece of amazing news:
"Tasmanian devils have begun breeding at younger ages, according to researchers at the University of Tasmania in Australia...(Zoologist Menna) Jones, who has been studying the animals' life cycles since before the disease outbreak, noted that there has been a 16-fold increase in breeding at age one.
'What we are suggesting in this paper is that there is likely to be strong selection for rapid evolution" toward early maturity...To our knowledge, this is the first known case of infectious disease leading to increased early reproduction in a mammal', Jones and her colleagues report."
Isn't the natural world incredible? Within the space of a few years, a species that is dying from an as yet un-treatable disease has taken the steps necessary to ensure, or at the least increase the likelihood, of its own survival. Instinctively, the Tasmanian devil is breeding at an extremely young age to maximise the chances of producing a new generation.
"We could be seeing evolution occurring before our eyes. Watch this space!" says Menna Jones.
Truly amazing.
But of course whenever I think of the Tasmanian devil, I always picture this:
-Ruby
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Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
However, it is the sudden appearance of this disease and its highly unusual nature, and that there is only one other type of disease that is similar in its contagious transference, that has me slightly worried.
For many years now, military biologists have been working on various "genetic specific" biological weapons.
I will not name countries who are actively engaged in this research, however, it has been aimed at humans of course, not animals.
What concerns me is this;
Tasmania would make an ideal testing ground because of its physical isolation and small size. Also, as we all know, any efficacious medicinal therapy drug must be tested on animals first, to make sure it is safe to use, and that any side effects can be worked on.
However, in the nasty end of science, that being the realm of military research, the object of desire is to create harmful weapons, so, in the case of a biological weapon, they would be looking at the 'system' that 'carries' the disease, making sure it is effective at disabling, and or killing, and that it transfers quickly from biological entity to entity.
While all I put here is purely conjecture, and hopefully is not the case with the Tasmanian Devil, it still raises some concern in me, and that maybe researchers need to be more aware, to take into account that the disease could have been laboratory created and introduced on purpose.
Such underhanded activities, in other areas of biological, special weapons and nuclear development has happened before; such as in America, Britain and the USSR in particular, and as I pointed out in a previous post about atomic testing in Australia, on Australian soil, and in the seas surrounding us and our neighbours, all with our government's agreement to allow it and agreement to actively conceal any negative results, such as fallout and contamination, which has only been revealed in the last decade or less.
So there are precedents, and proof of amoral sociopathic attitude by governments, towards its own people and those of its allies!
Just something to ponder upon...
cheers
fog
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Isn't it crazy how some people are working so hard to preserve life, not just human life but all life, whilst others work so hard at destroying it?
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
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i live in Tasmania, and there is a large logging corporation called Gunns which pretty much run the state through economic bribery, the forrestry industry is gived exemptions for the Freedom Of Information (FOI) laws and is never held accountable for the amount or aerial spraying, water-way poisoning, and 1080 baiting (illegal in most of the world) that they do
Devils are carnivores and eat the carcasses of pests (you know how rare native animals like possums etc are "pests") that are poisoned on the tree plantations
i believe with increased research they will find these cancers are in response to systematic poisoning of the ecosystem by Gunns
Tasmanian and Federal politicians should be ashamed of themselves for the consequences of the blind eye turned to logging down here
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
But for them to just instinctively begin breeding earlier to try and save their own future...honestly, it's just incredible.
I've heard of Gunns. And, yeah, I can't believe what is happening to the ecosystem in Tassie. It's like how bad do things have to get before we realise what we are doing to our planet and the other species unfortunate enough to have to share it with us?
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Luv the pix of the other Tassy Devil
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Maybe you two should band together and try and research that area, for if it is true, that the 1080 is to blame, then these arseholes need to be stopped by legal intervention.
What never ceases to amaze me is, if they allowed these morons to grow low grade Indian Hemp, instead of cutting down old growth forests, which we badly need for development of rainfall and cleaning the air, habitat etc, then the Gunns people and whatnot, could grow enough A Grade pulp in one square hectare, which would be equivalent to four times the same area in old growth, or even pine tree planatation.
Furthermore, the fact that Hemp is more akin to a weed, means it can be grown again and again in the same field, no need for fallowing, and, every year a new full crop can be harvested.
I say, give Gunns ect the license to grow the hemp, and tell them to put their axes up on their walls, as mementoes of an era of gross stupidity, criminal destruction and waste!
This idea has been put to some wood choppers, one of whom had his guard down when he instinctively retorted something along the lines of, 'What? So instead of chopping down trees we'll be growing weeds?" And thought it a debasing and unmanly persuit.
This, I think, is at the basis of it all. These morons don't care about excellent substitutes for the supply of wood pulp, they just want to get off killing nature!
arseholes!
cheers
fog
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
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i just posted an article i wrote for a magazine a few years ago which is more detailed about what is going on here in Taz
CLICKHERE for "Freedom of Information . . . Accomplice to Poison"
Comment by Wilson Pon
Techno Stuffs
I'm bet it's must be really hurt to have those tumors on its body...
Like the Darwin's theory, the most strongest species will be the last one standing, and hope the Tassie Devil will win in this "Evolution" battle...
Comment by Jeff Musall
Secular Humanity
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Hey fog, thanks for that info, yeah it's all about the men feeling emasculated huh? And here I was thinking the important thing was that they had a job....
And thanks for the link Morgan, I'll read it today.
Hi WIlson, yeah it nearly made me cry when I saw that picture, these poor beautiful animals, but I just find the whole story of the way they are still producing so incredible. Talk about overcoming major adversity. I really hope they can come out of this okay on the other side. Tassie scientists are still working hard on a vaccine to help them along.
Jeff, yeah the logging in Tassie has been ruthless and their practices have long been under the scrutiny of environmentalists. Yet, both the state and federal governments have let them poisoning the land for the sake of keeping jobs and the economy going. Even though other solutions have been presented as such as that which fog outlined above. As for America growing hemp. Haha. I just can't see that ever happening. I can just imagine the outrage.
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
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Artist Quirk
Comment by Johnny Come Lately
Jack's Back
Nature is a marvelous thing, it is wonderous to see evolution in action. Good post.