Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Fire Ants and Flies
I just finished watching a show about fire ants and flies which place their fertilized eggs into the ant. A person likened it to hitting a moving pickup truck on the freeway. There was an obligatory "they evolved together that's why they have this relationship and responses to each other."
So some fly picks on a particular ant. Implants their eggs in them. The chemical reaction of the ants to this particular fly spur the ants on. The larvae eventually kill the host and the process continues.
So let's invoke evolution. It's the "Darwin of the Gaps". No realistic step-by-step scenario is needed.
I just finished watching a show about fire ants and flies which place their fertilized eggs into the ant. A person likened it to hitting a moving pickup truck on the freeway. There was an obligatory "they evolved together that's why they have this relationship and responses to each other."
So some fly picks on a particular ant. Implants their eggs in them. The chemical reaction of the ants to this particular fly spur the ants on. The larvae eventually kill the host and the process continues.
So let's invoke evolution. It's the "Darwin of the Gaps". No realistic step-by-step scenario is needed.
