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San Francisco, 8:33 PM
Tue Nov 24
24 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #madbiology more →

    Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning

    Back-to-School Season for Your Immune Cells

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of sicboi sicboi
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    if their sexual reproductive systems have "just about disappeared", then they aren't female anymore are they? The species has become asexual.


    Interestingly, if chance has had it that this has occurred with this 'female' species, that means that there also is statistical probability existing for a case of all-male or formerly all-male species reproducing somehow by a similar method.


    i remember reading a David Brin book now about something like this but i can't remember the name, where males and females had altered their mating seasons so that females are in 'heat' at a time when males have low libido and vice versa. Brin said he had taken this idea from a study observation of insects that had this evolved trait so as to avoid conflicts within the two sexes (went on about saving much needed energy etc etc BS). But it was an interesting observation of the insect world transmorgified into an alternate fiction about humans... hmm, maybe fodder for a new Star Trek movie perhaps? oh, too late, Shatner's crew have done the Amazonia planet thing already...

     Reply
    sicboi was starred sicboi was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    04/17/09

    @sicboi: That Brin book is Glory Season. A very good take on "the planet of women" concept that doesn't get all juvenile and pervy.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H. Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H.
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    Oh, someone named Himler (one M isn't fooling anyone) is discussing genetic isolation, that'll end well.
     Reply
    Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H. was starred Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H. was unstarred
    Image of Multibocks Multibocks
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    So male ants that wander into this colony experience death by SNU SNU?
     Reply
    Multibocks was starred Multibocks was unstarred
    Image of vulcanized vulcanized
    04/17/09

    @Multibocks: They never thought they'd die that way. But they'd always really hoped.
     Reply
    vulcanized was starred vulcanized was unstarred
    Image of Ender15 Ender15
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    Do they have a plan?
     Reply
    Ender15 was starred Ender15 was unstarred
    Image of John Hazard John Hazard
    04/17/09

    @Ender15: They have a plan, but it doesn't go anywhere and involves angels.
     Reply
    John Hazard was starred John Hazard was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    04/17/09

    @Ender15: They do have a plan. It has IV phases.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
    04/17/09

    @John Hazard: +1.
     Reply
    Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. was starred Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. was unstarred
    Image of Dr Emilio Lizardo Dr Emilio Lizardo
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    Maybe nitpicky, but isn't this more parthenogenesis than cloning?
     Reply
    Dr Emilio Lizardo was starred Dr Emilio Lizardo was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    04/17/09

    @Dr Emilio Lizardo:


    Yes, it is.

    There are also fish and some amphibians that use parthenogenesis extensively.

    -Kle.

     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of Pope John Peeps II Pope John Peeps II
    04/17/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: WHY do you sign your comments? Your name appears RIGHT ABOUT THEM.


    It fucking drives me mental. WHY THE FUCK DO YOU DO IT?!

     Reply
    Pope John Peeps II was starred Pope John Peeps II was unstarred
    Image of Pope John Peeps II Pope John Peeps II
    04/17/09

    @Pope John Peeps II: er. above them. rather. not "about".

    -POPE JOHN PEEPS II
     Reply
    Pope John Peeps II was starred Pope John Peeps II was unstarred
    Image of Gann Gann
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    Without sexual reproduction this is an evolutionary dead end, no?
     Reply
    Gann was starred Gann was unstarred
    Image of tetracycloide tetracycloide
    04/17/09

    @Gann: it really depends on the exact mechanism of parthenogenisis this species uses. it's entirely possible for the offspring of a single parent, one with only one set of sex organs, to be genetically different from the parent or from their brothers and sisters. it all boils down to the ploidy of the cells of this particular species.
     Reply
    tetracycloide was starred tetracycloide was unstarred
    Image of tetracycloide tetracycloide
    04/17/09

    @tetracycloide: and that's without even factoring in mutation i might add.
     Reply
    tetracycloide was starred tetracycloide was unstarred
    Image of Pope John Peeps II Pope John Peeps II
    04/17/09

    @tetracycloide: True that evolution can still take place. But without the mingling of chromosomes, the genetic difference and likelihood of birthing new traits won't be as pronounced as with sexual reproduction, right?


    Although in this case, with this species, it doesn't seem to hinder their survival any, which is all evolution really wants anyhow.

     Reply
    Pope John Peeps II was starred Pope John Peeps II was unstarred
    Image of NotChoinski NotChoinski
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    Amazonian meaning from the South American Rainforest or completely matriarchal? Or Both?


    I've been to bars completely full of male clones.

     Reply
    NotChoinski was starred NotChoinski was unstarred
    Image of 浴武士!!!! I'd like to start a manga like that 浴武士!!!! I'd like to start a manga like that
    04/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Discover All-Female Ant Species that Reproduces by Cloning
    kinda like feminists eh? HWHAHWAHWHAWHHAWAH
     Reply
    浴武士!!!! I'd like to start a manga like that was starred 浴武士!!!! I'd like to start a manga like that was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/17/09

    @浴武士!!!! I'd like to start a manga like that: "In other tragic news, a samurai was found beaten to death by his own penis."
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
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