# Is there an onshore place on earth...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 7, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245 "2011-07-07T23:55:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245/1 "2011-07-07T23:55:00Z")

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…that has sufficient biodiversity to sustain hunting-gathering by a handful of humans but free of harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites?

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**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245/2 "2011-07-07T23:59:55Z")

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I’d have to go with ‘no’ for that one. Too many qualifiers, and basically anywhere humans go they are going to take ‘harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites’ with them. And if the humans aren’t there, then some other species would bring them along.

-XT

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**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245/3 "2011-07-08T00:03:07Z")

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> [@mac\_bolan00](#):
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> …that has sufficient biodiversity to sustain hunting-gathering by a handful of humans but free of harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites?

No. Your gut flora are necessary\* for life, but dangerous in other locations–like in a wound.

- Wiki says that people can live without gut flora, but I’ve never heard this and I’d guess that it’s only possible in very limited and controlled situations.

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**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245/4 "2011-07-08T00:53:54Z")

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umm… what is gut flora?

i thought the far north is a close contender but inuits don’t live on the ice cap year round, do they?

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**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245/5 "2011-07-08T00:56:40Z")

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oh, includes microbiota and microflora. thanks.

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**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-onshore-place-on-earth/588245/6 "2011-07-08T00:56:42Z")

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> [@mac\_bolan00](#):
>
> umm… what is gut flora?

Bacteria like E-Coli that live in human intestines and assist with digestion.