Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kosh on July 05, 2006, 10:29:29 pm
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Somewhat related to the evolution thread.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060704/hl_afp/greecehealthdisease
Athens-based mosquitoes can detect humans at a distance of 25-30 metres (yards) and also distinguish colours, unlike their colour-blind counterparts elsewhere in the country that only smell blood at 15-20 metres, Ta Nea daily reported
This one deserves a big :wtf:.
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Pfft...they are the size of helicopters around here. Nothing special about their blood sucking abilities.
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They obviously haven't seen a Minnesota mosquitos LOL
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Sci-Fi Pictures presents...
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Sci-Fi Pictures presents...
...Mansquito!
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:wtf:@ that article.
It's interesting, but it smells strongly as exaggeration on some parts. The enhanced colour vision is interesting enough, but the size is not really that big a deal. It can be just as simple that when two genetically similar animals are given different circumstances (ie. the other gets all the food it needs while the other lives in hunger) the one in better circumstances gets bigger, stronger and all that stuff. It might be so that on a particular year, there were particularly good conditions for mosquitoes on Athens. Though I don't know how long they have surveyed mosquito sizes.
But all in all - there are dozens of mosquito species in Finland alone, and several thousands in the world. Crossbreeds can, of course, product interesting combinations, and it definitely is a rapidly breeding species so chances in environment would be sure to reflect fast on genotypes and fenotypes of the mosquito population.
Oh, and mosquitos aren't the worst bloodsuckers there are. Black flies are a thousand times worse, when the conditions favour them. They are small enough that they push themselves everywhere. And there's more of them than mosquitoes. And they do not actually sting and suck blood - wish it were that simple, but no, they cut of a piece of flesh and then drink blood from that open wound, and pour in some spit to keep the wound open and perform simple anesthethics... So, if you are out alone, after a while you don't notice the bites and you can end up covered with your own blood. It's not actually dangerous unless you are allergic to them, but it's bloody annoying and disgusting. :ick:
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actually i think alaska has the biggest misquitoes. we jokingly call it our state bird. gift shops make a fortune selling misquito traps to the tourists.
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I remember watching a black 'n' white film years ago about giant killer ants (anyts the size of cars).
That was pretty cool. Or atleast I remember it was. Probably crap TBH.
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Hey, I remember that, that was a pretty cool little movie. Utterly moronic from a purely scientific point of view, but when you're flame-thrower'ing giant mechanical ant-props, who gives a rats about science! :)
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I remember watching a black 'n' white film years ago about giant killer ants (anyts the size of cars).
That was pretty cool. Or atleast I remember it was. Probably crap TBH.
It was called THEM http://www.horror-wood.com/them.htm (http://www.horror-wood.com/them.htm) good clean 50's fun ~IIRC :D
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Evolution of anti mosquito spray:
DIE you freekin BUG!
(http://screenshots.playwhat.com/files/empireinteractive/strangelite/sstroopers/Screenshots/sstroopers_9.jpg)
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Sci-Fi Pictures presents...
Is it wrong that I thought this exact same thing when I read the article?
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:wtf:@ that article.
It's interesting, but it smells strongly as exaggeration on some parts. The enhanced colour vision is interesting enough, but the size is not really that big a deal. It can be just as simple that when two genetically similar animals are given different circumstances (ie. the other gets all the food it needs while the other lives in hunger) the one in better circumstances gets bigger, stronger and all that stuff. It might be so that on a particular year, there were particularly good conditions for mosquitoes on Athens. Though I don't know how long they have surveyed mosquito sizes.
But all in all - there are dozens of mosquito species in Finland alone, and several thousands in the world. Crossbreeds can, of course, product interesting combinations, and it definitely is a rapidly breeding species so chances in environment would be sure to reflect fast on genotypes and fenotypes of the mosquito population.
Oh, and mosquitos aren't the worst bloodsuckers there are. Black flies are a thousand times worse, when the conditions favour them. They are small enough that they push themselves everywhere. And there's more of them than mosquitoes. And they do not actually sting and suck blood - wish it were that simple, but no, they cut of a piece of flesh and then drink blood from that open wound, and pour in some spit to keep the wound open and perform simple anesthethics... So, if you are out alone, after a while you don't notice the bites and you can end up covered with your own blood. It's not actually dangerous unless you are allergic to them, but it's bloody annoying and disgusting. :ick:
Gotta agree with you there. BlackFlies are certianly the worst. Around here and slightly north of here they really start to get bad...swarms of them in the early summer. They all die after a week or two so its not too bad but I've been bitten and its really nasty the cuts out of the flesh that they do. Much worse than the mossies and their little snouts.
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well are you left with a simple cut or an annoying itching bump for two weeks?
the bite I could care less about, it's the aftermath I hate.
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Sci-Fi Pictures presents...
...Mansquito!
Yup.
nuclear1: No, not really. I'm still trying to suppress the memories of Mansquito commericals myself.
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I remember watching a black 'n' white film years ago about giant killer ants (anyts the size of cars).
That was pretty cool. Or atleast I remember it was. Probably crap TBH.
It was called THEM http://www.horror-wood.com/them.htm (http://www.horror-wood.com/them.htm) good clean 50's fun ~IIRC :D
Oooo so that's where Westwood got the idea...
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:nod: and zombies ate my neightbours too, One of the most fun yrt pointless games ever to grace my Snes back in the days...... :yes: