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Ghost_Skeptic
SFN Regular
Canada
510 Posts |
 Posted - 03/08/2006 : 19:40:16
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Cane toads, a species introduced to Australia for pest control (and now a major pest themselves) are evolving longer legs so that they can travel faster. This evolution is occuring rapidly because they lay large egg clutches and therefore have a lot of genetic varation among their offsping.
Quirks and Quarks Web Page (with more links)
http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/05-06/feb25.html
MP3 File from Quirks and Quarks on CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/media/2005-2006/mp3/qq-2006-02-25b.mp3
The cane toad has few predators because it is poisonous. Apparently some people lick cane toads because this toxin is hallucinogenic.
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"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. / You can send a kid to college but you can't make him think." - B.B. King
History is made by stupid people - The Arrogant Worms
"The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism." - William Osler
"Religion is the natural home of the psychopath" - Pat Condell
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter" - Thomas Jefferson |
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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 19:57:36 [Permalink]
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Jumped the gun on you by a couple weeks, Ghost_Skeptic. Here's a link to the previous Australian Cane Toad thread. But thanks for the additional links. These critters are quite an interesting example of evolution in action. 
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Ghost_Skeptic
SFN Regular
Canada
510 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 22:51:19 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by GeeMack
Jumped the gun on you by a couple weeks, Ghost_Skeptic. Here's a link to the previous Australian Cane Toad thread. But thanks for the additional links. These critters are quite an interesting example of evolution in action.
Oops - That was before I joined. Oh well. I hope I at least introduced a few people to one of my favourite radio programs (Quirks and Quarks) through the links I provided. |
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. / You can send a kid to college but you can't make him think." - B.B. King
History is made by stupid people - The Arrogant Worms
"The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism." - William Osler
"Religion is the natural home of the psychopath" - Pat Condell
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter" - Thomas Jefferson |
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