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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
 Posted - 02/16/2006 : 08:47:24
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There's an interesting poisonous toad, the Cane Toad (Bufo marinus), which was imported to Australia in the 1940s to combat insect pests in the sugar cane crops. The spread of the toads has been closely monitored, and it has recently been determined that some very observable evolution is taking place. The toads are growing longer legs which helps them increase their range more quickly allowing them to compete more effectively for available food.quote - news.com.au:
'Super Toads' Going on a Rampage
It has invaded the Northern Territory and now the hated cane toad is evolving - growing faster, longer legs as it rampages through the Top End.
Researchers have been studying the toxic pests in the NT, clocking them hopping up to 2km in a single night, or more than 50km a year - five times quicker than their predecessors travelled in the 1940s to 1960s.
[...]
[Professor Rick Shine, University of Sydney's School of Biological Sciences] said it was possible toads were evolving to be faster because there was some advantage to being first to invade an area - either juicier grubs or less competition for food.
Read more about it here...Toxic Cane Toad Develops Longer Legs
Aussie Toads Go for Gold
Cane Toads Getting Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Have Evolved Long Legs - Will Travel
Oz Cane Toads Stretch Their Legs
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 12:19:05 [Permalink]
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quote:
... five times quicker than their predecessors travelled in the 1940s to 1960s.
That's some major micro-evolution for just over half a century. Wonder how the Creationist folks explain this?
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 12:27:44 [Permalink]
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Proof of ID!
Ha ha just kidding... |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 12:45:18 [Permalink]
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| They dont explain it they just say 'Pfft, Microevolution' and then roll their eyes. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 13:29:54 [Permalink]
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B. marinus: something of a favorite of mine. I have a friend who has kept one for some years, and when he takes his family on vacation, I do some toad-sitting, along with a couple other herps. The toad's name is BM, 'cause when he's hunkered down, he rather looks like one. 
He's about the size of a fat, scaberous tea saucer.
BM will devour -- this thing doesn't eat, it devours! -- anything with protine. I once gave him a thawed, small rat, some 7 or so inches long (I was feeding snakes at the time and thought, "Whaddahell, why not?"). He couldn't get it all down and spent the rest of the day sulking in his water bowl with the rat's tail and back legs hanging out of his mouth. But in the morning, all trace of the rat was gone save in BM's girth. Amazing creature.
And here's a thought: FL is full of cane toads and they have become a fairly major problem. As we warm up, there can be no doubt that they will radically expand their range. So will fire ants, and ain't that a happy state of affairs to look forward to.....
Amphibians are the most successful, terrestrial vertabrates ever. They were here well before the reptiles showed up, indeed, some of them would, after a great many eons and intermediate stops on the way, become dinosaurs. And mammals. And the birds of the air..., but not fishes in the sea. 
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2006 : 13:42:36 [Permalink]
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| I just hope the cicada stay south of Toledo. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 02:47:41 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
And here's a thought: FL is full of cane toads and they have become a fairly major problem. As we warm up, there can be no doubt that they will radically expand their range. So will fire ants, and ain't that a happy state of affairs to look forward to.....
I'm in Sydney, so they're not an issue here, but I've had friends who spent a fair bit of time in Queensland (North Eastern Australia) who would tell all sorts of stories about cane toad plagues. When we were in High school, he used to talk about how the back yard would be covered in them, they'd throw them over the fence into the reserve aparrently, for hours at a time, and then repeat the exercise again the next day. He claims some other kids were hitting them for tens of metres with a cricket bat. Somewhat cruel and unnecessary IMHO, but aparrently, more often than not the critters would right themselves and be on their merry way.
In Northern queensland, on some roads they'll absolutely cover the tar, making for a rather dangerous situation, be it through drivers attempting (futilely) to dodge them, or by the lubricative effect that a handful of ex-cane-toads can become when modified by by car tyres at high speed. Squelch, slip, crunch, oops.
Then of course there's the clowns who will boil them and drink the results, getting rather sick instead of high. It's a pity they're not more toxic, sometimes survival of the fittest needs a bit of a shove... |
John's just this guy, you know. |
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