Fruit Flies Show Genetic Adaptation To Warming - Houston Chronicle

[hatrack]

EDIT

It may not be that disturbing to the flies, however. Fruit flies, because of their fast rate of reproduction, may rapidly adapt to the changing climate. What's disturbing, Huey said, is that most other living creatures cannot evolve so quickly.

"Humans can adapt, to some extent, because of our intelligence and technologies," he said. But many creatures — especially such nonmobile and slow-growing plants like the sequoia tree — are likely going to be unable to adapt, Huey said.

"This is a clear signal on three different continents that climate change is occurring and that genetic change is going along with it," the biologist said.

In Friday's report, Huey, lead author Joan Balanya at the University of Barcelona, George Gilchrist at the College of William & Mary and colleagues describe how this fruit fly native to Europe — likely only about a dozen of them — was accidentally introduced in a fruit shipment to Chile. The invasion spread quickly across Chile and, in 1982, a Canadian scientist collecting flies in Port Townsend was surprised to find among his insect booty these foreign invaders. "They likewise spread quickly here and now can be found from just north of Santa Barbara into British Columbia," Huey said.

EDIT

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4158663.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Apparently they've got a life of only 24 hours

I recall a Snoopy cartoon many years ago with a fruit fly saying "if only I'd known this morning what I know now" :)

[Benhurst]

2. Disturbing news, indeed. But then if they are evolving, that would

suggest evolution, which we all know is just a disproved theory of Darwin's. So, I guess these little critters are just the product of intelligent design which were somehow overlooked until now.

Whew! Had me going for a moment there.

Back to getting my Hummer washed and ready for an outing.

[sam sarrha]

3. at least th buddhists will have something to be reborn into.. there is hope