Evolution by hybridization?

[Moontanman]

See this link for more info but hybridization is being recognized as a factor in evolution.

Creatures Reunite After Ancient Divorce | LiveScience

[Ahmabeliever]

"The big message here is that we're directly messing with species by messing with their natural environments," Sheppard said. "This is a strong, thumping example where man's influence can have a profound effect on evolution."

The stressor (agriculture) was placed, and the bacteria evolved. Nice!

The ramifications that we are causing havoc in the evolutionary chain... I don't think it's so bad as some doomsayers have been predicting. This bacteria hybrid is classic adaptation and I think we ourselves may adapt as our environment changes too.

The problem lies in adding many stressors to our 'human environment' namely our habitats, our planet, at once. We may not evolve or adapt fast enough to keep up with contaminants in our food, light, water and air. (substances and bacterial and viral hybrids we have not developed a tolerance to/means to filter out, yet)

Battery farming is a typical example of dollars over sense, we know it's highly pollutive, we know we feed steroids and GE grains to the animals, we know the animals suffer greatly in these conditions, but we keep doing it, why, we keep buying it to eat. Maybe this research will slow demand, even get a looksee from lawmakers.

Humans are becoming like these hens, crammed into ever decreasing spaces. Will we develop the means to survive in our own wastes?

I read the following so often I almost believe it

"Nothing can be done about population"

Perhaps we ought to rethink this and say

"What can be done about population."

It's such simple math I don't understand why the issue isn't discussed globally as something that should be addressed. If every person had only had 1 child the population remains the same. Two children per couple is plenty.

Back in the henhouse, hybrid bacteria are filling the niche of two previous bacteria...
Is the new hybrid more efficient?
Are the chickens with the hybrid bacteria healthier than chickens in similar situations without them?
Disregarding the inhumane aspect of the stressor, have we inadvertently created a better chicken (for the environment it is in), or worse?

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by Ahmabeliever

The stressor (agriculture) was placed, and the bacteria evolved. Nice!

The ramifications that we are causing havoc in the evolutionary chain... I don't think it's so bad as some doomsayers have been predicting. This bacteria hybrid is classic adaptation and I think we ourselves may adapt as our environment changes too.

The problem lies in adding many stressors to our 'human environment' namely our habitats, our planet, at once. We may not evolve or adapt fast enough to keep up with contaminants in our food, light, water and air. (substances and bacterial and viral hybrids we have not developed a tolerance to/means to filter out, yet)

Battery farming is a typical example of dollars over sense, we know it's highly pollutive, we know we feed steroids and GE grains to the animals, we know the animals suffer greatly in these conditions, but we keep doing it, why, we keep buying it to eat. Maybe this research will slow demand, even get a looksee from lawmakers.

Humans are becoming like these hens, crammed into ever decreasing spaces. Will we develop the means to survive in our own wastes?

I read the following so often I almost believe it

"Nothing can be done about population"

Perhaps we ought to rethink this and say

"What can be done about population."

It's such simple math I don't understand why the issue isn't discussed globally as something that should be addressed. If every person had only had 1 child the population remains the same. Two children per couple is plenty.

Back in the henhouse, hybrid bacteria are filling the niche of two previous bacteria...
Is the new hybrid more efficient?
Are the chickens with the hybrid bacteria healthier than chickens in similar situations without them?
Disregarding the inhumane aspect of the stressor, have we inadvertently created a better chicken (for the environment it is in), or worse?

While I agree with or at least admit to the possibility of much of what you said I am curious as to why you would say the GE crops or food is stressful to animals? Despite al the hype and misleading press GE crops have been getting no study has shown that GE is in it's self bad or even threatening the health of animals or us in any way. Yes crops that have been engineered to contain harmful substances would be harmful but to say that all GE crops are all harmful is misleading. We have been genetically engineering animals and crops for thousands of years, it's called selective breeding. GE in the modern sense is just a way of doing it more directly in less time. Please explain your stance on this.

[Ahmabeliever]

My stance is that selective breeding and hybridisation is great. Nature is keeping up with the changes.

GE, accelerating nature, I certainly see the benefits, but think we really are playing with fire. Nature adapts to the changes we make, but what other effects are we having on the evolutionary chain by changing things rapidly, more rapidly than cause and effect can contain in a natural manner? There's a line and I don't trust corporate sponsored science not to cross it.

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by Ahmabeliever

My stance is that selective breeding and hybridisation is great. Nature is keeping up with the changes.

GE, accelerating nature, I certainly see the benefits, but think we really are playing with fire. Nature adapts to the changes we make, but what other effects are we having on the evolutionary chain by changing things rapidly, more rapidly than cause and effect can contain in a natural manner? There's a line and I don't trust corporate sponsored science not to cross it.

I've read enough books both fiction and nonfiction to have a healthy respect for GE but I don't see it as automatically bad or good. It has great potintial, what that potintial will be is up to us. I was disturbed by your assumption that GE would be stresful to the animals that ate it. Never make assumptions, they have a way of biting you in the end. GE could be means to practical immortality or the death of us all. It's a lot like nuclear power, it is not evil or good in of it's self, it is what we make it.

[Ahmabeliever]

Agreed.