Have the ozone holes over Australia and it’s neighbors, triggered these mutations. I see that the Tasmanian devils have a new unique cancer that kills in 3 to 6 months. It appears biting an infected individual is the route of transmission. Australia has a number of plants and animals producing asexually in western Australia. They know that some have done this in the past, but not to the extent it is happening now.
Steve Irwin explained!
The devils spread cancer by biting each other? :dubious:
Cancer is not contagious.
I’m not going to post a zombie reference.
Some forms are. Cervical cancer, for example, is spread by a virus. Cite.
That is what the researcher is saying. It’s also would be a unique form of cancer for that reason.
Several forms of cancer can be triggered by viruses. One of the most famous example is a type of cervical cancer caused by H. Papilloma. Hence the recent breakthrough announcement for a vaccine which prevents cervical cancer.
At this point in time they have not found a virus as the cause.
Ok. people here is the link for the cancer, I read about the asexual reproduction boom a few months ago so I don’t have that link curently.
http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16929717%5E3462,00.html
We don’t believe ALL cancer is contagious. Leukemia in cats is contagious. There is at least one human cancer that MAY have a viral origin.
But on your side, I have trouble believing the described disease could be classifed as a cancer so quickly. It sounds more likely viral.
And if this contagious cancer is caused by a virus, then it won’t be anything at all to do with the ozone hole
Devil Facial Tumor Disease has been around since the mid-90’s, and it’s definitely a cancer, caused by a mutation in neuroendocrine cells. So far researchers haven’t been able to find a virus associated with the cancer, so they think it’s being transmitted directly via bites.
Here’s a link with some more information and pictures.
…hmmm…
Do I want to see pictures of Devil Facial Tumor Disease? …Oh, what the heck…
click
Ewwwwwwwwwww!
The ozone “holes” (actually reduced concentrations of ozone) are not over Australia.
Who are you referring to as Australia’s neighbours?
New Zealand . I haven’t seen any articles about New Zealand, but the ozone holes did drift around for years. I know that in the last year or two the ozone hole over the Antartic has reduced in size after splitting in two. The point is has the increase in asexual plant and animal reproduction been brought on because of this. Also is it a factor in this cancer affecting the Tasmanian Devils? The doctors in Australia also have seen an increase in skin cancer in humans. They link that to people getting all the benifits of strong UV exposure from the sun through the ozone holes.
In other words generations from before the ozone hole still has problems, presumably due to excessive exposure to the sun, but more recent generations do not, presumably due to the excellent sun-exposure public health campaigns over the last 20 years.
They do? I can find no evidence of that; cite please.
Oh great, we’re doomed.
I’ve been searching around online but I can’t find any reference to this even happening. Can you remember any other details apart from it being in WA? I live in WA, I follow science and ecological issues that are relevant to here, but I haven’t heard anything about this. Obviously I can’t keep track of every report, but a few more details would be useful.
I looked yesterday for about 5 minutes, and didn’t find the news item. I read it earlier in 2005. It was way before the new pine species was discovered. New as in thought extinct. It was in the desert, which doesn’t narrow it down too much. It involved some plants and animals that have been known to reproduce in this manner. Now they are reproducing in large numbers by asexual methods and almost nil by normal methods in the affected areas. I’m going to see about finding the article again.
As for the ozone hole bit, and cancer rates lowering in younger people, the effects are being minimized in that age group, because of preventive practices. The age groups that were exposed for years that didn’t use hats and sun screen are the ones that are relevant.
My understanding of it is that while the ozone hole caused some parts of southern Australia to be a little too close for comfort in the mid-1990s, it has never really directly affected us. However, when it was first discovered was also the time when Sydney was bidding to host the 2000 Olympics, and there were certain overseas elements with a vested interest in playing up the danger. As a result, many people at the time thought you only had to step off the plane in Australia, and you’d be fried to a crisp.
Australia has always had bright, strong sunlight, and a relatively high level of UV radiaton. Relatively, that is. It’s nothing a little common sense can’t overcome, and nothing to do with the ozone hole.