Comments on: Zombifying Parasite Sniffs out Poison to Find Its Fire Ant Host

By: B P Odom

B P Odom — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:15:24 +0000

Dave, the problem is not the “Christian troll” Jim. Jim is not a troll and his response to an utterly gratuitous shot at creationists was thoughtful and witty in its own way, if a bit pedantic and repetitive (and revealing of an ignorance of the proper use of “it’s,” which means “it is”–whoa, that’s really pedantic of me). One does wonder why atheists feel compelled to take potshots any time evolution is brought up. Many religionists believe that there is no conflict between faith in God and a belief in evolution. The last Pope declared that “evolution is more than just a theory” and is “God’s way of doing things,” and there is no need to be more Christian than the Pope. But faith in God is certainly not necessary in order for one to believe that evolutionary theory is the best way to understand the origins and development of life. Where Jim breaks down is in his inability to avoid being so amazed at the evolution of the flies/ants that he deploys the word “miraculous.” Jim, there certainly is enough time for it to happen by chance–life arose some 4 billion years ago, and these things have evolved for hundreds of millions of them. That is a LOT of time, and there’s no need to drag “miraculous” into it in order to explain your amazement. (Indeed, that there is any life at all is the result of remote chances, and is just as amazing as this.) And it is just inane to say that evolution “thought” of doing this. Evolution is a process of random mutation followed by natural selection, not a process guided by an immanent purpose to reach some sort of predetermined end. The survival of the species is an ongoing focus that is never perfected. And we might add that if we take note of the strangely delicate and complex adaptation of means to ends here, we ought not to ignore the weirdly off-kilter adaptations like the horse’s hoof (actually the middle toenail) and the panda’s thumb (actually a wrist bone) that no sane “designer” would deploy, adaptations that show just how random the process is. There is as much inelegance of design in nature as there is elegance, although the process in all its myriad instantiations is indeed amazing, but not “miraculous.” Can’t we talk about evolution without bringing religion into it on either side?

By: dave

dave — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:50:17 +0000

the problem was the christian troll jim who accused the first guy (who only made what i thought was a funny joke) who saw fit to then respond with a book as a response because his feelings were hurt. Grow up and learn to take a joke

By: Kathy

Kathy — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:53:57 +0000

I live where we have to deal with fire ants and would love to obtain this parasitic fly to help get rid of the ants. You can’t put poison out to kill them if your growing food or have livestock because it’s deadly. So, the fire ant takes over everywhere.

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:53:54 +0000

Come on people this article is about nature at it’s best! There is nothing in it indicating God and creation. Animals survive anyway they can. This particular fly has an attraction to the fire ant. This way of living isn’t any crazier than a cheetach tripping it’s prey in order to eat or fungus taking over a tree’s moisture in order to grow and thrive. Nature works in it’s own way without assistance from mankind. If our creator made this particular fly then he also assisted it’s way of living. Appreciate whats around you and how it all ties together.

By: fb36

fb36 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:25:11 +0000

I think if the God exists then the horrible ways of killing in the animal world would mean
“the all loving God” image created in Christianity is wrong also.
Maybe God exists but does not really like us much as we tend to assume so easily!

By: Julian

Julian — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:09:40 +0000

@ previous posters: dumb, da-dumb dumb dumb!

Quite an amazing adaptation, though.

By: Teis

Teis — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:41:48 +0000

Who are “the creator” that creates a creature that pierces it’s host, eats its way to the brain of the host, manipulates the host to a zombielike behavior and then finaly decapitates it.

If that is what you are suggesting Jim, then that is – sick humor.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:54:58 +0000

Ouch, bigjohn, do I sense a bit of bitterness and maybe a touch of insecurity? I mean, this story has nothing to do with creationism vs. evolution, yet you pop off with that. Do you stare all day long at your computer screen fuming in an egotistical rage just because other people, including many who are fascinated by science and all it’s incredible wonders and intricate workings, believe in something greater than themselves, and everything from a piece about parasitic ant-killers to an episode of Spongebob Squarepants sets off a verbal spar aimed at “the enemy”? C’mon, pard’ner, buck up a little, it’s going to be ok. All those people singing in church on Sunday morning aren’t going to bother you (unless you live right next door to a church and your window is stuck open). Maybe go out and get some fresh air, take a break from your vigil. I guarantee you that other atheists are at the lake today or maybe watching a basball game – why, there’s probably one in the stands right now sharing his nachos with ***gasp*** a Christian in the seat next to him!! I bet brother Darwin himself would want you to take a breather. I bet he even got up from his studies and smiled at another human being just out of kindness every once in awhile. Why so angry, so vile? I don’t want to delve too deep, but maybe you should ask yourself why.

But I guess since you brought it up, it is amazing that a creature can and does do this to survive, home in on the poison of a pest and lay it’s eggs inside the body and it’s hatching young, controlling the ant like a zombie, then decapitate the head so that they can then escape the carcass. Hard to imagine something like that could just “happen”, even given enough time for all the parts to miraculously come together (oops, did I say “miraculously”? Is that a banned word on this website?). I like that extra explanation of why the fly larvae might decapitate the head, in order to protect themselves from toxins that may be in the trunk of the ant’s body. Incredible how evolution thought of that extra provision.

By: bigjohn756

bigjohn756 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:51:53 +0000

Is there a similar phorid fly for creationists?

Oh, sorry, that wouldn’t work. The flies eat brains.