Comments on: Evolutionary arms race turns ants into babysitters for Alcon blue butterflies http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/10/16/evolutionary-arms-race-turns-ants-into-babysitters-for-alcon-blue-butterflies/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: zackoz http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/10/16/evolutionary-arms-race-turns-ants-into-babysitters-for-alcon-blue-butterflies/#comment-9473 zackoz Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:32:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2674#comment-9473 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCo2uCLXvhk&feature=PlayList&p=9C5A9503746DE00C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=44 sorry to respond so late, Shade, but see above. It's from Attenborough's recent "Life" series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCo2uCLXvhk&feature=PlayList&p=9C5A9503746DE00C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=44

sorry to respond so late, Shade, but see above. It’s from Attenborough’s recent “Life” series.

]]> By: Brian Schmidt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/10/16/evolutionary-arms-race-turns-ants-into-babysitters-for-alcon-blue-butterflies/#comment-9472 Brian Schmidt Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:14:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2674#comment-9472 Well, here's what I wrote on this possibility of being cyclical, with links to two of Ed's posts: http://backseatdriving.blogspot.com/2008/12/connecting-north-american-newts-and.html Well, here’s what I wrote on this possibility of being cyclical, with links to two of Ed’s posts:

http://backseatdriving.blogspot.com/2008/12/connecting-north-american-newts-and.html

]]> By: Brian Schmidt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/10/16/evolutionary-arms-race-turns-ants-into-babysitters-for-alcon-blue-butterflies/#comment-9471 Brian Schmidt Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:07:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2674#comment-9471 Regarding that last M. rubra population, its victory is probably just cyclical. The chemical coat presumably has a fitness cost with no beneficial value now that the butterflies have stopped parasitizing. That M. rubra population will either lose the adaptation or get outcompeted by other conspecifics. and then the cycle starts again. We see an arrow in time where the process is possibly much more cyclical. This reminds me of the newt/garter snake competition that Ed posted about several years ago. I'll try to dig up the link. Regarding that last M. rubra population, its victory is probably just cyclical. The chemical coat presumably has a fitness cost with no beneficial value now that the butterflies have stopped parasitizing. That M. rubra population will either lose the adaptation or get outcompeted by other conspecifics. and then the cycle starts again.

We see an arrow in time where the process is possibly much more cyclical. This reminds me of the newt/garter snake competition that Ed posted about several years ago. I’ll try to dig up the link.

]]> By: Shade http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/10/16/evolutionary-arms-race-turns-ants-into-babysitters-for-alcon-blue-butterflies/#comment-9470 Shade Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:18:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2674#comment-9470 zackoz, would you mind providing a link or some thing? I am really interested in this. zackoz, would you mind providing a link or some thing?
I am really interested in this.

]]> By: zackoz http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/10/16/evolutionary-arms-race-turns-ants-into-babysitters-for-alcon-blue-butterflies/#comment-9469 zackoz Sun, 17 Oct 2010 05:22:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2674#comment-9469 An Attenborough doco recently screened here in Australia described this pattern, but added a twist where the parasite became victim to another parasite, predictably a wasp. The wasp invades the ant's nest , scattering a pheromone which confuses the defending ants, making them fight each other! It then lays an egg in the butterfly grub, which is tended lovingly by the ants. Eventually, a wasp emerges from the grub's carcass. An Attenborough doco recently screened here in Australia described this pattern, but added a twist where the parasite became victim to another parasite, predictably a wasp.

The wasp invades the ant’s nest , scattering a pheromone which confuses the defending ants, making them fight each other! It then lays an egg in the butterfly grub, which is tended lovingly by the ants. Eventually, a wasp emerges from the grub’s carcass.

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