Comments on: Cancer threatens Tasmanian Devils with extinction by "devil facial tumour disease" http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 03:54:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Michael Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519683 Michael Smith Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519683 Travelling in Tasmania recently I got the impression that their forests have a bad case of male pattern baldness. From the road you may think there is forest everywhere but then you start to see empty spots only a hundred metres into the forest or so. In fact a lot of it has been harvested. Travelling in Tasmania recently I got the impression that their forests have a bad case of male pattern baldness. From the road you may think there is forest everywhere but then you start to see empty spots only a hundred metres into the forest or so. In fact a lot of it has been harvested.

]]> By: Jeff Wilkinson http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519639 Jeff Wilkinson Tue, 28 Aug 2012 04:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519639 at some point, that cancer is going to hit a compatible target, and the female that started the whole mess is going to be reconstituted... mission accomplished, at that point? at some point, that cancer is going to hit a compatible target, and the female that started the whole mess is going to be reconstituted… mission accomplished, at that point?

]]> By: BruceMcBruce http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519577 BruceMcBruce Tue, 28 Aug 2012 01:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519577 The scary thing about this one is that it is not a contagious virus that is causing cancer - it is the cancer *itself* that is contagious. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmissible_cancer The scary thing about this one is that it is not a contagious virus that is causing cancer – it is the cancer *itself* that is contagious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmissible_cancer

]]> By: humanresource http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519529 humanresource Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519529 If you care, donate to protect the last forest in Tasmania where the devils remain unaffected. Currently, only 5% of the Tarkine Wilderness is listed as a national park, and both major parties want to put in new mines, logging roads and all the rest. http://tarkine.org/  If you care, donate to protect the last forest in Tasmania where the devils remain unaffected. Currently, only 5% of the Tarkine Wilderness is listed as a national park, and both major parties want to put in new mines, logging roads and all the rest.

http://tarkine.org/ 

]]> By: mister stick http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519333 mister stick Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519333 er, hpv? er, hpv?

]]> By: SomeGuyNamedMark http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519305 SomeGuyNamedMark Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519305 "but neither species is cut out for long-term survival.  Deal with it." Same thing was said about some groups of people during WWII “but neither species is cut out for long-term survival.  Deal with it.”

Same thing was said about some groups of people during WWII

]]> By: wysinwyg http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519264 wysinwyg Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519264  Fair enough.  Fair enough.

]]> By: Jerril http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519263 Jerril Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519263  Devils genetic diversity wasn't hot, but the last big great chokepoint was caused by humans, and was VERY recent. This means in turn that there hasn't been much genetic drift/mutation since the chokepoint, so they're still great mutual transplant candidates... They weren't great, but we SHOVED them, we didn't just give them a poke.  Devils genetic diversity wasn’t hot, but the last big great chokepoint was caused by humans, and was VERY recent. This means in turn that there hasn’t been much genetic drift/mutation since the chokepoint, so they’re still great mutual transplant candidates…

They weren’t great, but we SHOVED them, we didn’t just give them a poke.

]]> By: waetherman http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519132 waetherman Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519132 This will teach them to stop biting each other. Darwin-style. This will teach them to stop biting each other. Darwin-style.

]]> By: wysinwyg http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519116 wysinwyg Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519116 This is happening because Tasmanian devils are so crazy inbred they have basically the same immune system AND because they bite each others faces as a form of flirting.  Much like pandas and koalas*, I think these guys were already dead-ending long before human beings started the eighth great extinction. *Yeah, they're cute -- but neither species is cut out for long-term survival.  Deal with it. This is happening because Tasmanian devils are so crazy inbred they have basically the same immune system AND because they bite each others faces as a form of flirting.  Much like pandas and koalas*, I think these guys were already dead-ending long before human beings started the eighth great extinction.

*Yeah, they’re cute — but neither species is cut out for long-term survival.  Deal with it.

]]> By: bcsizemo http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519102 bcsizemo Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519102 Don't know but Xeni should have used this cartoon instead: http://www.elvikis.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/TazTumor.png Don’t know but Xeni should have used this cartoon instead:
http://www.elvikis.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/TazTumor.png

]]> By: shana logic! http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519087 shana logic! Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519087 I'm actually a sponsor for http://www.devilislandproject.com/ and they are working super hard on preventing this disease - they have an entire island where they are breeding healthy devils! Check it out:-) I’m actually a sponsor for http://www.devilislandproject.com/ and they are working super hard on preventing this disease – they have an entire island where they are breeding healthy devils! Check it out:-)

]]> By: Jay Converse http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519074 Jay Converse Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519074 Pictures of those tumors need a Unicorn chaser so badly they're almost NSFW. Pictures of those tumors need a Unicorn chaser so badly they’re almost NSFW.

]]> By: Jil Wrinkle http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519065 Jil Wrinkle Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519065 Why can't people who write about Tasmanian Devils put up an actual photo of a Tasmanian Devil instead of the cartoon character? Why can’t people who write about Tasmanian Devils put up an actual photo of a Tasmanian Devil instead of the cartoon character?

]]> By: Abie http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519064 Abie Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519064 On the subject, I recommand this excellent feature article od Harper's:"The Evolution of a killer" by David Quammen http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/04/0081988 He ever gives a few rare and terrifying examples of cancer transmission in humans: http://temptoetiam.tumblr.com/post/1133401603/forty-years-ago-a-team-of-physicians-led-by-edward On the subject, I recommand this excellent feature article od Harper’s:”The Evolution of a killer” by David Quammen http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/04/0081988

He ever gives a few rare and terrifying examples of cancer transmission in humans: http://temptoetiam.tumblr.com/post/1133401603/forty-years-ago-a-team-of-physicians-led-by-edward

]]> By: Frank Diekman http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519059 Frank Diekman Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519059 New band name: "devil facial tumour disease" New band name: “devil facial tumour disease”

]]> By: Tony Gracyk http://boingboing.net/2012/08/27/cancer-threatens-tasmanian-dev.html#comment-1519055 Tony Gracyk Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178279#comment-1519055 http://www.radiolab.org/2010/may/17/  Radiolab did an episode on this a while back that is very interesting b/c it starts to hone in on the question of what constitutes life. http://www.radiolab.org/2010/may/17/ 

Radiolab did an episode on this a while back that is very interesting b/c it starts to hone in on the question of what constitutes life.

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