Hudson River Fish Evolve Toxic PCB Immunity

[Jokerman]

Hudson River Fish Evolve PCB Immunity

Bottom-feeding fish in the Hudson River have developed a gene that renders them immune to the toxic effects of PCBs, researchers say.

A genetic variant allows the fish to live in waters notoriously polluted by the now-banned industrial chemicals, and distinguishes the fish—Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod)—as one of the world’s fastest evolving populations.

"This is very, very rapid evolutionary change," said Isaac Wirgin, an environmental toxicologist at New York University’s School of Medicine, and the study's lead investigator. "Normally you think of evolution occurring in thousands to millions of years. You’re talking about all this occurring in 20 to 50 generations maybe.”

 

[Shahin]

LOL @ evilution. Let me know when it gives birth to a dog or a rhino

 

[Rukas]

So ermm... they adapted, not evolved.

 

[Da_Funk]

So ermm... they adapted, not evolved.

Simply put, no.

 

[Glockmatic]

So ermm... they adapted, not evolved.

Adaption is a corner stone of evolution. Like cave fish that adapt to extremely low light condition and lose their eyesight yet have vestigial eye sockets.

 

[Flipmo]

Whats with old members coming back... lol

 

[masta247]

yeah, now I'm keen to believe that someone just hacked their accounts
It's too big of a coincidence.

 

[Jokerman]

So ermm... they adapted, not evolved.

A species doesn't have to change into a new species for it to have evolved. When there is a genetic change, it's evolution. If the fish had built water filters that removed the PCBs, we could then say that they had adapted. (Of course the ability of them to do so would indicate an evolution of intelligence.) So, in short, if a group adapts genetically to change, they have evolved.

 

[masta247]

I don't know how it is exactly technically in English but our equivalent of the word 'adaptation' means by definition an element of evolution as a whole. So Adaptation would be an element/one of many outcomes of evolution caused by the circumstances or environment.
So the way they taught me in school technically in this case it would be both - an adaptation and evolution since adaptation belongs to evolution.

 

[99.7%]

Let me tell you a true story about immunization okay? We were tempered in raw shit!

When I was a little boy in New York City in the 1940s, we swam in the Hudson River and it was filled with raw sewage okay? We swam in raw sewage! You know... to cool off! And at that time, the big fear was polio; thousands of kids died from polio every year but you know something? In my neighbourhood, no one ever got polio! No one! Ever! You know why? Cause we swam in raw sewage! It strengthened our immune systems! The polio never had a prayer; we were tempered in raw shit! So personally, I never take any special precautions against germs. I don’t shy away from people that sneeze and cough, I don’t wipe off the telephone, I don’t cover the toilet seat, and if I drop food on the floor, I pick it up and eat it! Yes I do. Even if I’m at a sidewalk café! In Calcutta! The poor section! On New Year’s morning during a soccer riot! And you know something? In spite of all that so-called risky behaviour, I never get infections, I don’t get them, I don’t get colds, I don’t get flu, I don’t get headaches, I don’t get upset stomach, you know why? Cause I got a good strong immune system and it gets a lot of practice. My immune system is equipped with the biological equivalent of fully automatic military assault rifles with night vision and laser scopes, and we have recently acquired phosphorous grenades, cluster bombs, and anti-personnel fragmentation mines.

 

[Pittsey]

Let me tell you a true story about immunization okay? We were tempered in raw shit!

When I was a little boy in New York City in the 1940s, we swam in the Hudson River and it was filled with raw sewage okay? We swam in raw sewage! You know... to cool off! And at that time, the big fear was polio; thousands of kids died from polio every year but you know something? In my neighbourhood, no one ever got polio! No one! Ever! You know why? Cause we swam in raw sewage! It strengthened our immune systems! The polio never had a prayer; we were tempered in raw shit! So personally, I never take any special precautions against germs. I don’t shy away from people that sneeze and cough, I don’t wipe off the telephone, I don’t cover the toilet seat, and if I drop food on the floor, I pick it up and eat it! Yes I do. Even if I’m at a sidewalk café! In Calcutta! The poor section! On New Year’s morning during a soccer riot! And you know something? In spite of all that so-called risky behaviour, I never get infections, I don’t get them, I don’t get colds, I don’t get flu, I don’t get headaches, I don’t get upset stomach, you know why? Cause I got a good strong immune system and it gets a lot of practice. My immune system is equipped with the biological equivalent of fully automatic military assault rifles with night vision and laser scopes, and we have recently acquired phosphorous grenades, cluster bombs, and anti-personnel fragmentation mines.

Do you know why no one gets polio now?

Vaccination programmes. Idiot