Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012) • Hacker News Board

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#31

Post by ars » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 9:55 PM UTC

jusben1369 wrote: post #26

grondilu wrote: post #25

I'm all for preserving endangered species and all, but frankly these insects scare the hell out of me and if I was anywhere close to one of them I may run away, screaming like a little girl. I believe I'm not very exceptional a person thus I suspect they'll have difficulties convincing people to have this species reintroduced on any inhabited island.

'screaming like a small child" perhaps is better.

> screaming like a small child" perhaps is better.

Why is that better?

Have you never heard a little girl scream? It's not the same as the sound of a little boy.

Let's not let political correctness wash away every difference that makes individuals special.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#32

Post by ars » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:00 PM UTC

lucb1e wrote: post #15

What I find interesting about the paper[1], regarding housing: > "[include] a jar of water. There is no need to cover the top of the jar, as LHISIs generally do not drown themselves as other insects do, except for very small nymphs on very rare occasions." So I guess being stuck on a rock surrounded by water taught them to avoid falling into the water, unlike apparently other (land-based) insects. [1] http://www.aszk…

They are also much much larger than most insects, that's helps too.

And strong enough to defeat surface tension.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#33

Post by jonalmeida » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:08 PM UTC

> Where, they wondered, did that poop come from?

The question that drives scientists to do what they do.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#34

Post by dnewms » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:12 PM UTC

ars wrote: post #31

jusben1369 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'screaming like a small child" perhaps is better.

> screaming like a small child" perhaps is better. Why is that better? Have you never heard a little girl scream? It's not the same as the sound of a little boy. Let's not let political correctness wash away every difference that makes individuals special.

Since voices don't change until puberty -- any kid screaming sounds the same.

And in the vein of special individuals, there are little girls who love and hate insects, and little boys who love and hate insects. Perhaps a more original phrase or analogy would be better: I would scream like a Dryococelus australis being attacked by rats.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#35

Post by jonalmeida » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:17 PM UTC

jmiwhite wrote: post #18

arthurcolle wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what is the RB in your "I am not a..." ?

'Real Biologist', as requested by the parent.

Or possibly 'Research Biologist'.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#36

Post by learnstats2 » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:18 PM UTC

bpodgursky wrote: post #2

What I don't fully understand is, usually when scientists try to preserve rare species, there is a critical mass under which there isn't enough genetic diversity to preserve the species (I've seen ~30 quoted for some rare mammals). But in this case, just two individuals were able to start a viable population. Why are these insects different? I can only think of a couple reasons... - since these insects have a r-selec…

It's true that inbreeding of a small population results in deleterious recessive traits becoming more readily apparent. However, this would still normally apply only to a small percentage of offspring.

As such, I would not expect inbreeding to affect the viability of an insect species at all. If they can produce a viable first generation, the large majority of that generation can produce a viable second generation.

Mammals might have a harder time with inbreeding because they produce few children, and as such any problems are less likely to be resolved through another line.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#37

Post by ars » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:26 PM UTC

dnewms wrote: post #34

ars wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> screaming like a small child" perhaps is better. Why is that better? Have you never heard a little girl scream? It's not the same as the sound of a little boy. Let's not let political correctness wash away every difference that makes individuals special.

Since voices don't change until puberty -- any kid screaming sounds the same. And in the vein of special individuals, there are little girls who love and hate insects, and little boys who love and hate insects. Perhaps a more original phrase or analogy would be better: I would scream like a Dryococelus australis being attacked by rats.

> Since voices don't change until puberty -- any kid screaming sounds the same.

Apparently you have not met any. They don't sound anything alike, except maybe as newborns.

> there are little girls who love and hate insects

He just said scream like a little girl, there was no connotation of girls hating or loving insects. Just a sound.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#38

Post by pvaldes » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:37 PM UTC

bpodgursky wrote: post #2

What I don't fully understand is, usually when scientists try to preserve rare species, there is a critical mass under which there isn't enough genetic diversity to preserve the species (I've seen ~30 quoted for some rare mammals). But in this case, just two individuals were able to start a viable population. Why are these insects different? I can only think of a couple reasons... - since these insects have a r-selec…

Are different in a "parthenogenetic way". They can clone itselves if necessary. Thus, a single isolated female can lead to an unlimited population of females, all of them genetically identical to its mother, grand-mother etc. It seems that the species is not very worried with the idea of living with a low level of genetic combinations (and mutations can still occur increasing slowly the genetic diversity).

great post.

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#39

Post by conanite » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:42 PM UTC

jusben1369 wrote: post #26

grondilu wrote: post #25

I'm all for preserving endangered species and all, but frankly these insects scare the hell out of me and if I was anywhere close to one of them I may run away, screaming like a little girl. I believe I'm not very exceptional a person thus I suspect they'll have difficulties convincing people to have this species reintroduced on any inhabited island.

'screaming like a small child" perhaps is better.

I can't tell from the username and I have no other information, but if grondilu is a girl, and perhaps a young one at that, it would be perfectly reasonable for her to expect to scream like one. Otherwise the comment was simply outrageous sexism. How dreadful that we can't tell!

Re: Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides for 80 Years (2012)

#40

Post by eric_h » Tue, Mar 10, 2015, 10:42 PM UTC

ars wrote: post #31

jusben1369 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'screaming like a small child" perhaps is better.

> screaming like a small child" perhaps is better. Why is that better? Have you never heard a little girl scream? It's not the same as the sound of a little boy. Let's not let political correctness wash away every difference that makes individuals special.

> Have you never heard a little girl scream? It's not the same as the sound of a little boy.

I disagree, all little humans learn how to make that piercing scream often attributed to little girls. Little boys will likely do it less as they begin to be socialized and thus wedged into gender roles, but they definitely do "scream like little girls".