New Fairy Shrimp Species (eat this, anti-evolutionists)

[renaissanceguy]

New Fairy Shrimp Species Found in Idaho

By REBECCA BOONE, Associated Press Writer

BOISE, Idaho - Biologists with the Idaho National Guard have discovered a new species of fairy shrimp living in the oft-dry lake beds of Idaho's desert.

Though they look delicate enough to match their name, they are strong enough to survive, unhatched, for years in the baking heat of summer and the frozen tundra of winter until enough rain falls and the pools return. Once they awaken they live a few frenzied weeks, mating and leaving behind tiny cyst-like offspring, and die.

<snip>

The shrimp have apparently evolved ways to deal with a scarce food source. When the playas begin to run out of the tinier shrimp, they catch and store their prey for future eating.

<snip>

[Ripley]

1. Link?

Love the name...Fairy Shrimp!

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Here's a link, and a cool pic :-)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/16/content_2704645.htm

[Ripley]

4. The Name is NOT appropriate!!

Meanwhile, the belly of the shrimp is covered with patches of Velcro-like spikes, enabling it to stick to and store up to four smaller fairy shrimp of different species — its prey.

It looks more like AN ALIEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

**revs up power-loader**

[ret5hd]

3. how many would it take to make a shrimp cocktail?

[underpants]

5. THE GAY SHRIMP MUST BE STOPPED!!!!

I would not be suprised if that was a talking point against protecting these little critters as they might stop someone from making one more dollar.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

9. I have no problem with them...as long as they aren't allowed to marry.

Gay shrimp...dogs and cats living together...where does it all end.

JB

[MidwestTransplant]

26. Certainly not with Box Turtle love

[TalkingDog]

19. GOD HATES GAY SHRIMP!!!

http://www.godhatesshrimp.com/

[underpants]

20. Good Lord that is so sad and so funny

I was sure it was a joke. Apparently not.

[GiovanniC]

28. Parody

"This site is a work of parody, conceived by Joe Decker and executed by Ryland Sanders."

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

25. That's friggin' hilarious! Thanks for the link.

I laughed so hard I farted...yikes.

JB

[biftonnorton]

30. I May Never Laugh In Public Again

Thanks for giving me one more fear to store in my closet of middle aged man fears.

[priller]

27. Wow, that's what happens when you stick to the Old Testament

I guess these guys haven't read in Acts where Peter has the vision of all the unclean foods laid out before him and God tells him to eat.

[Lerkfish]

6. although I agree anti-evolutionists are wacky, I don't think this

accomplishes the smackdown on them you seem to be going for.

species differentiation and adaption occurs all the time, even wacko fundies have to admit that.

There is a difference between that, in their minds, and macroevolution, or the generation of entirely new species from other very different species.

I'm not making their argument, here, but I'm saying this does not shatter their world view at all. This new species is, after all, still shrimp, they have merely adapted through differentiation/mutation and the more adapted variant survived.

[The Stranger]

7. In other words . . .

. . . they have merely adapted through differentiation/mutation and the more adapted variant survived.

. . . they have evolved.

[Lerkfish]

8. right, I'm not arguing that with you, I'm saying that they make the distin

distinction between micro and macro evolution.

My comment was the original post basically saying "in your face, anti-evolutionists". I'm just explaining this would not sway them, because they make that distinction.

I'm not an anti-evolutionist, though.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

11. The reason they make the distinction is because microevolution is PROVED

Microevolution can be observed and is pretty much sown up as a FACT.

The christofascists are snapping at the "relative" weakest link in evolutionary theory. Eventhough, their cockamamy intelligent design crap is an even shakier prospect. Plus, a great majority of the christofascist lemmings are not intelligent enough (or lack the patience) to understand anything but "macro" ideas or notion that can be packaged in a slogan (e.g., my ancestors ain't no apes).

JB

[Lerkfish]

13. I'm not really certain what their objection is, to be honest.

I"m a liberal christian but i accept evolution theory. To me, it does not disprove God in any way, since I believe God made everything, if evolution is part of everything, then he made that, too.

I think they too readily desire to think rigidly about the earth's history, which is truly bizarre when you factor in dinosaurs. Obviously, we were NOT the first life forms. Why God proceeded that way or what he intended is not clear, but obviously its true.

Personally, i think God is a great believer in LIFE, of all forms. We don't know all the forms, and the mulitplicity of them that come from just eight amino acids (I think its eight, right?) are spectacularly diverse, robust and interesting. The world would be a lesser place without the diversity of life.

I have to wonder if part of it may be, as you suggest, because they don't want to think their ancestors might have been radically different than what we are now...they might be offended to think of themselves as descended from apes.....but I don't get that. Apes are majestic and fascinating creatures. God made them, so I don't see what's wrong with them.

but I often shrug at right wing christian notions...but I should point out that anti-evolutionists are a SUBSET of fundies....not all fundies are that draconian concerning evolution.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

14. If we descended from apes, then at some point we were athestic

I think the sticking point comes to the notion that apes do not have the capacity to know right from wrong. Animals, other than humans, are amoral creatures and beyond the capacity to abstract the notion of a god. If humans derived from "lesser" beings, than by definition our ancestors were godless heathens. Or, so the thought may go...

A bit of a tangent...

What really kicks my hide about religion and a notion of a god is the lack of an explanation for those who pre-dated the notion of a monothesistic being. Are we to believe that the ancient Chinese or Egyptians, who's civilization predate Judeo civilization for a couple thousand years are now all residing in Hell?

JB

[oneighty]

15. Does hell exist concurrently

with the present time? Are all God's creatures dead before us exist in hell right now? Do stupid animals go to hell too?

Why are these Shrimp(s)called faeries? Is there a religious connection? Oh no, I am thinking of angels.

180

[mutus_frutex]

24. That's why the Roman Catholic Church doesn't truly accept evolution.

Animals don't have "souls". Therefore, if we accept that we evolved from animals, at some point the "soul" must be instilled into the body.

Since the immortal soul is the basis of morality, what the RCC says is that morality can't be an evolved trait.

To me that is just stupid at two different levels: First, I don't recognize the existence of morality. I do, however, recognize the existence of ethics (i.e. human developed rules for civilized living). And I do think that ethical precepts are indeed evolved.

Cheers.

[WahooJunkie]

18. eight is not right

Just a quick correction -

It's not 8 amino acids - it's 20. Encoded by varying combinations of 4 nucleic acids.

Doesn't really change the jist of your post, just the specifics.

;-)

[Lerkfish]

23. thanks...couldn't remember the right number offhand. n/t.

[reprobate]

22. Point of information, Lerkfish.

First, I have no argument with what you said, only with your anthropomorphizing.

IMO, when we refer to a god as 'He', that's exactly what we are doing.

By almost anyone's definition of a monotheistic 'God', that being would have to be on a level 'above' the human male and female, and therefor would have to be termed 'IT'. To use the male identifier 'He' just skews the argument.

A minor point I admit, but the discussion of religion is difficult enough without throwing in this obfuscation of terms.

We now return control of your monitor to you.

[The Stranger]

33. The distinction between "microevoloution" and "macroevolution" is false.

Evolution is a continuous phenomena. The "distnction" is fabricated.

There are no substantive differences between evolution on a larger scale and evolution in a minute time frame.

[Lerkfish]

34. sigh...*I* know, but its a distinction THEY make, therefore, they will

remain to be unconvinced, which was my only point.
I'm not condoning their arguments, only saying this discovery will not FROM THEIR POV shake the foundations of their arguments.

[libnnc]

10. Sea Monkeys?

[XemaSab]

12. Playa Monkeys!

[oneighty]

16. You fell for that too?

180

[CoffeeCat]

17. If you look closely, you can see little crowns on their heads (nt)

[CornField]

21. Mine never wore aprons or made dinner.

[Lisa]

29. I love fairy shrimp! Just about my favourite (aquatic) invertebrate ...

The water-flea (Daphnia) specialists I worked with always used to get mad at me for not preferring "their" organism ... funny thing is, they were studying speciation too! I'm going to e-mail them now to gloat!

[biftonnorton]

31. So, You've Heard My Pickup Line, Then?

If I'm mackin' hot chix, I always start by asking them what their favorite aquatic invertebrate is, just to get to know them better, ya know. Then we might even talk about the best organism they've experienced as we move toward ever more suggestive and innuendo-laden subject matter. :+

[jayfish]

32. Yeah, But...

how do they taste?

Jay