Comments on: More symbionts and flight http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/ Meddling with things mankind is not meant to understand. Also, pictures of my kids Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:45:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Algire http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-206677 Algire Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:14:16 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-206677 "...a symbiotic virus causes aphids to grow wings." I thought I had heard it all, but this absolutely stuns me. I grew up watching nature documentaries on PBS and never have I heard of anything like this. Our natural world is full of wonders and seems we just keep learning new things everyday. I tend to think that this must have had some considerable effect on the evolution of life and also wonder if a similar situation has happened with mammal or even human beings! “…a symbiotic virus causes aphids to grow wings.”

I thought I had heard it all, but this absolutely stuns me. I grew up watching nature documentaries on PBS and never have I heard of anything like this. Our natural world is full of wonders and seems we just keep learning new things everyday. I tend to think that this must have had some considerable effect on the evolution of life and also wonder if a similar situation has happened with mammal or even human beings!

]]> By: Sam http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-181375 Sam Mon, 09 May 2011 23:45:16 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-181375 @george: I have to mostly incline to your way of describing bacteria effects. It's really hard to prove that bacteria "wants" or "does" anything on purpose. I believe that ballooning prevention in spiders is neutral, simply a coincidence. Sam Nalepka @george:
I have to mostly incline to your way of describing bacteria effects. It’s really hard to prove that bacteria “wants” or “does” anything on purpose. I believe that ballooning prevention in spiders is neutral, simply a coincidence.

Sam Nalepka

]]> By: Michael http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-171949 Michael Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:14:45 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-171949 Fantastic fact about the balooning. I wasn't aware spiders were capable of this! Fantastic fact about the balooning. I wasn’t aware spiders were capable of this!

]]> By: Chris http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-164163 Chris Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:50:33 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-164163 "Building up a reasonably dense local spider population might be in the bacteria’s best interests, and suppressing ballooning might help do that." Great conclusion! I think evolution in any scenario is one of lifes most exciting facts. Recently I watched a spider build it`s net from scratch. That was an amazing experience. I was lucky cause it was on my balcony. Far better than watching TV! :) Chris R. (Munich, Germany) <a href="http://www.australientipps.de/" rel="nofollow">Australien</a> - Webmaster “Building up a reasonably dense local spider population might be in the bacteria’s best interests, and suppressing ballooning might help do that.”

Great conclusion! I think evolution in any scenario is one of lifes most exciting facts.

Recently I watched a spider build it`s net from scratch. That was an amazing experience. I was lucky cause it was on my balcony. Far better than watching TV! :)

Chris R.
(Munich, Germany)
Australien – Webmaster

]]> By: seth http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-155251 seth Sat, 02 Apr 2011 01:54:20 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-155251 "One critical difference between the aphids and the spiders is that the spiders are much more versatile." Spiders are often underestimated as suitable behavioural models because due to their small brains, their behaviour is innate and mostly invariable. “One critical difference between the aphids and the spiders is that the spiders are much more versatile.”

Spiders are often underestimated as suitable behavioural models because due to their small brains, their behaviour is innate and mostly invariable.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-152634 Jeff Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:43:04 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-152634 Just wanted to say thanks for this post. My son did well on a school project that he decided on after reading your post. He's the local expert now on ballooning spiders! Keep it up. thanks Just wanted to say thanks for this post. My son did well on a school project that he decided on after reading your post. He’s the local expert now on ballooning spiders! Keep it up. thanks

]]> By: Mosquitos: Blaming the victim? | Mystery Rays from Outer Space http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-68088 Mosquitos: Blaming the victim? | Mystery Rays from Outer Space Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:16:18 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-68088 [...] of – there are lots of amazing mutualistic agents of arthropods [example here in spiders: "More Symbionts and Flight"], but as far as I know they tend to be highly specialized to one host.[↩] This entry is [...] [...] of – there are lots of amazing mutualistic agents of arthropods [example here in spiders: "More Symbionts and Flight"], but as far as I know they tend to be highly specialized to one host.[↩] This entry is [...]

]]> By: george http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-25799 george Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:45:40 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-25799 2 things: 1.) A typo. "why don’t the bacteria want to the spiders to balloon?" has the extraneous "to" before "the." 2.) Does the bacteria have to "want" the spiders to balloon or not to balloon? I understand that the ability of the bacteria to prevent the spider from ballooning would have evolved, but it doesn't necessarily have to be beneficial or harmful to either species, does it? It could just be neutral, couldn't it? It was neither harmful nor helpful, and nothing ever caused it to be bred out of the bacterium, etc. Even if that's true, though, there probably is some beneficial aspect that we just haven't figured out yet. 2 things:

1.) A typo. “why don’t the bacteria want to the spiders to balloon?” has the extraneous “to” before “the.”

2.) Does the bacteria have to “want” the spiders to balloon or not to balloon? I understand that the ability of the bacteria to prevent the spider from ballooning would have evolved, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be beneficial or harmful to either species, does it?

It could just be neutral, couldn’t it? It was neither harmful nor helpful, and nothing ever caused it to be bred out of the bacterium, etc.

Even if that’s true, though, there probably is some beneficial aspect that we just haven’t figured out yet.

]]> By: Gail http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-25731 Gail Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:58:17 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-25731 Aphids generally reproduce asexually (no males!) during most of the growing season. These are born pregnant and lay live babies (=vivipary; look for the little red eyes in the abdomen of a light colored aphid!), the rapidly increasing population overtaking plant growth in some cases. Although winged forms can appear when the aphids (not all species have known males) are ready to mate, this is usually only in the autumn. Most of the time, viviparous winged aphids start to outnumber non-winged adults in response to dwindling host plant resources (a process starting in the grandmother's generation). Whether or not these winged aphids will travel long distances will depend on the species, whether they are physiologically ready to migrate or not, and whether or not the atmospheric motion systems are favorable at the right time. Aphids generally reproduce asexually (no males!) during most of the growing season. These are born pregnant and lay live babies (=vivipary; look for the little red eyes in the abdomen of a light colored aphid!), the rapidly increasing population overtaking plant growth in some cases. Although winged forms can appear when the aphids (not all species have known males) are ready to mate, this is usually only in the autumn. Most of the time, viviparous winged aphids start to outnumber non-winged adults in response to dwindling host plant resources (a process starting in the grandmother’s generation). Whether or not these winged aphids will travel long distances will depend on the species, whether they are physiologically ready to migrate or not, and whether or not the atmospheric motion systems are favorable at the right time.

]]> By: Viruses That Make You Fly, Bacteria That Keep You On the Ground | The Loom | Discover Magazine http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/2009/06/22/more-symbionts-and-flight/comment-page-1/#comment-25728 Viruses That Make You Fly, Bacteria That Keep You On the Ground | The Loom | Discover Magazine Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:32:16 +0000 http://www.iayork.com/MysteryRays/?p=1193#comment-25728 [...] aphids sprout wings. Bacteria keep spiders from making silken balloons to float away from home. All the details are at Mystery Rays From Outer [...] [...] aphids sprout wings. Bacteria keep spiders from making silken balloons to float away from home. All the details are at Mystery Rays From Outer [...]

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