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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by Caduceus on September 27, 2011
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Lmao hahaha, exactly nothing to say now right ? I thought so. Twice I caught you lying on the same forum red handed and yet again you have nothing of significance to say. Nothing to cite, no argument to make, dead in the water. You just look like a fool. This goes to show that everything you say on this site should be disregarded. Are you just senile after 30 years of researching snake or is acting like an expert all you have in life ?
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by AquaHerp on September 27, 2011
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Tommy. You are all over the place here and every time you get trapped you sidestep by stating you said something else. Nice diversionary tactic, but not working. I still find it amusing that you keep citing and still fail to understand what you are reading.
Where do I work? What have I published? Look it up. Perhaps you can even cite them in your next rant.
Actually this is getting quite amusing. You just can't grasp these concepts on any level.
DH
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by Caduceus on September 27, 2011
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Lol, ok, you can have the last word, I would kind of want that too if I had been caught lying twice and disproven point for point. Ad hominem attacks to the very end, at least you are consistent with one thing. Very professional BTW.
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by AquaHerp on September 27, 2011
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In all reality though son.
I'll be speaking for the Chicago Herp Society in April. I'll be speaking to the Phoenix Herpetological Society in November. Keynote speaker here for the New Mexico Herpetological Society this December. Hosting the professional Venomous Workshop here in Oct. 2012. I'll be speaking for the Taxon Advisory Group in Miami in March. I'm at the World Congress fo Science’s International Society of Toxinologists symposium followed by Venom Week in Hawaii in 2012. I hazard that more will be added soon. I would think that somewhere in all of this you can stop by and say hello. Maybe even educate us with your seemingly endless diatribe of random citations. Perhaps later we can go outside and spend some quality time as well.
DH
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by AquaHerp on September 27, 2011
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This is fun!
Here's my latest-
Journal Article : Download in ( RIS | BibTeX ) format.
Neutralization of bitis parviocula (Ethiopian mountain adder) venom by the South African institute of medical research (SAIMR) antivenom.
Sanchez EE, Hotle D, Rodriguez-Acosta A. Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. Sao Paulo 2011; 53(4): 213-217.
Affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Natural Toxins Research Center, Texas A & M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, USA.
DOI: unavailable
PMID: 21915465
(Copyright © 2011, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo)
BACKGROUND: The Ethiopian mountain adder (Bitis parviocula) is a viperid known only from a few locations in southwestern Ethiopia. METHODS: a total of 30 µg of B. arietans and B. parviocula venoms were run on a 10-20% Tricine gel. To assay lethality dose fifty (LD50), five groups of eight mice for each venom were used. Hemorrhagic activity for crude venom was tested. Fibrinogenolytic activity of crude venom was measured using (2.5 mg/mL) of fibrinogen solution and (0.03 mg/mL) of crude venom. Gelatinase activity of the venom was tested on a Kodak X-OMAT TM film. Crude venoms of B. parviocula and B. arietans were tested for their abilities to affect clotting time, clotting rate and platelet function on whole human blood. RESULTS: The (SAIMR) antivenom was confirmed in this study to neutralize the lethal activity of venom from Bitis parviocula. The ED50s of SAIMR antivenom on B. parviocula and B. arietans neutralized half of 18.2 and 66.7 mg of venom, respectively. The hemorrhagic activities (MHDs) of B. parviocula and B. arietans were 0.88 and 1.7 µg, respectively. Bitis arietans and B. parviocula venoms degradated á and â chains at different times. The ã chains remained unaffected. Bitis parviocula venom did not exhibit gelatinase activity, while B. arietans had a MGD of 6.9 µg. At 3 mg/mL, the crude venoms of B. parviocula and B. arietans did not significantly affect clotting time or clotting rate. CONCLUSIONS: The SAIMR antivenom is very effective in neutralizing the venom of B. parviocula and should be considered in treating envenomations by these snakes.
Language: Eng
______________________________________________________
Okay, your turn......
DH
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by AquaHerp on September 27, 2011
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Oh come on.....
Okay, I'll give you time. Here's another recent artical pertinant to this......
But seriously, you're falling behind here.
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A Code for Living
The Roles of DNA in Conservation
(BioScape Magazine)
It’s hard to imagine what the world was like before DNA technology solved all the crimes and medical mysteries on TV and provided answers to questions we hadn’t even thought to ask. But it was only twenty-six years ago that Sir Alec Jeffreys published the technique for DNA profiling and since that day in 1985, scientists have revolutionized not only the fields of law enforcement and medicine, but of conservation, as well. In fact, the valuable inside information that DNA provides is painting an ever-clearer picture of why certain species are headed for extinction, and helps researchers and wildlife specialists devise better management plans to save them.
This story follows the threads of DNA technology that are currently running through the ABQ BioPark and highlights some of the high-tech programs that now being used worldwide to save endangered species.
A DNA Construction
If building a human, plant or animal were like constructing a house, the genome would be the blueprint that gives an overview of the entire structure; the DNA would be the instructions for putting all the pieces together; the genes would correlate to the specialized descriptions of every feature in terms of color, size, placement, etc.; and the chromosomes, the packaging for genetic material (DNA), might equate to the framework that holds everything in place.
Just as there are clusters of similar-looking houses in neighborhoods, there are groups of living species that share the same location, history, structure and overall appearance. A closer look at the building materials for both, however, will reveal that even though every individual house or person is made with the same kinds of respective parts, those pieces are put together slightly differently in each one. In the same way that most houses share identical basic features such as bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and living room, humans also possess the same structural attributes (heads, hands, feet, hearts, lungs, etc.), such that over 99 percent of human genes are the same. But it is the group of less than one percent of the genes in each of us that are marginally different from all others which account for the infinite variances, combinations and unique features among each of the world’s nearly 7 billion people in terms of both appearance and function. For DNA dictates not only the way we look—the color of our hair and eyes and the size and shape of our bodies—but also determines traits such as strength, vision, hearing, learning capabilities, ability to metabolize food, predisposition for disease and millions of other characteristics.
Glossary of Terms
DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. Found mainly in the nuclei of cells, this chemical building block contains the instructions necessary for the transmission of hereditary traits and the formation of various proteins. It is made of four different chemicals: adenine (A); thymine (T); guanine (G); and cytosine (C).
Genome is a single organism’s entire DNA schematic, including genes and chromosomes. The four chemicals that comprise DNA (A, T, G, C) are called bases and are repeated in unique sequences throughout a genome. The human genome, for instance, consists of about 3 billion pairs of bases and 20,000 genes on 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Chromosomes consist of two long strands of DNA that are twisted into a double-helix shape and serve as the packaging for genetic material. In the chromosome form, DNA contains genes, proteins and other regulating elements that are tightly wound around proteins in the nucleus of a cell, but during cell division, the chromosome unwinds either to be copied and transferred to new cells, or to direct the manufacture of proteins for other biological processes. Chromosomes are produced in pairs because they carry genes which are also produced in pairs.
Genes are also made of DNA and function as the basic unit of heredity, supplying the necessary instructions for manufacturing proteins that determine how an organism looks, behaves and functions. Humans have 46 genes (23 from each parent) which are produced in pairs. Over 99 percent of genes are the same in all humans, which means that the less than one percent of varying genes account for each person’s unique characteristics.
PART I
Species Security
Preserving Endangered New Mexico Reptiles
DNA makes it possible not only to identify individuals, but to evaluate entire species, two applications that will be integral to a variety of reptile conservation programs currently underway at the ABQ BioPark Zoo.
Facilitated by Doug Hotle, curator of herpetology, these studies will focus exclusively on endangered New Mexico species and include a salamander project funded by the New Mexico BioPark Society. “Conservation is a huge, important part of our message,” said Julie Miller Rugg, executive director of NMBPS. “We’ve always provided money for national and international projects and we think it’s just as important to take care of endangered species right here where we live.” Other projects, funded through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, will focus on two species of garter snake and the lowland leopard frog. Another project involving the sand dune lizard will focus more on educational aspects (See Page ***).
“Our goal is to learn enough about these endangered species to prevent further decline,” said Hotle, who explained that he, along with staff and volunteers, will take periodic camping trips to collect animals from the wild for study and protection, and will also find ways to restore valuable habitat. DNA samples, obtained from a drop of blood or a scale, will be taken for each animal and catalogued in a data base, and microchips about the size of a grain of rice, will be placed in each of the snakes and lizards so that after they are released back into the wild, researchers will be able to identify them with a scanner and avoid collecting the same animals twice. The salamanders will be tracked through detailed descriptions and close-up photos because they are too small and their skin is too thin to tolerate a chip.
Other proposed steps to protect these species, which will be implemented in conjunction with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, include: compiling accurate counts and distribution patterns of each species; creating an assurance population at the Zoo to replenish animals that have been lost in the wild and to use in exhibits to educate the public; eliminating invasive, non-native predators such as bullfrogs and crayfish that reduce the populations of endangered native species; protecting the natural prey and vegetation of endangered species; devising management plans to preserve land, water and vegetation in the ecosystems where the endangered species live.
Maintaining Genetic Diversity
Work with the two species of garter snake in particular will involve both reproduction and re-introduction into the wild, and the DNA data will help researchers distinguish one snake from another and understand the mix and match of their genetics. “We want to be specific on who we’re collecting and what we’re breeding against,” said Hotle, who explained that one aspect of the project includes creating a “sustainable captive population—an assurance population—that is genetically sound.”
Because it is always better to let nature take its course, all captive mate selection and breeding will be allowed to occur naturally, and preferably by collecting already-pregnant females from the wild. Hotle said they will keep one male and one female from every clutch born at the Zoo, while the rest of the offspring will be part of a “headstart” program until they reach about one year of age and are released to the wild in the same location their parents were found. Limiting the animals’ contact with humans and releasing them within the first year of life averts “typic placicity,” explained Hotle, which means an animal is accustomed to human presence, less likely to run away from them, and therefore, less able to protect itself in the wild. DNA information will be maintained for all parents and offspring.
Genetic Diversity and Population Stability
When the DNA profiles of individual animals in a group are put together, their information forms an overall picture of the status and genetic diversity for that particular population. Researchers can then use that information to formulate better, more customized strategies for managing endangered populations.
Jesús A. Rivas, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of biology at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, will facilitate the genetic databank for the reptile projects at the ABQ BioPark by providing expertise and technical resources, as well as students from his department who will assist with data management and collection of animals from the wild.
“If the genetic diversity of a species is high, the threat of extinction is less, but I worry when we are able to find only a few individuals that are all similar genetically—that means greater danger,” he said. “A species has to deal with drought, weather and whatever happens in the environment, so if a population has little diversity, it’s like having all your stocks in one company--if that company goes under, you lose all your money; without genetic diversity, the species goes under.”
Rivas further explained that DNA analysis makes it possible to identify isolated populations of animals such as the endangered garter snakes that are part of the ongoing conservation projects at the ABQ BioPark Zoo. “If we find animals that are very different genetically, that may be a symptom that the populations are not exchanging genes because individuals might have been depleted in the geographic area between the two populations,” he said. “In that case we will try to swap animals from one to the other to guarantee gene flow and prevent the effects of inbreeding.”
****Graphic Insert with captions above and below****
Microsatellites are short segments of DNA that have repeated incidents of the nucleotide (A,T,G or C) sequence such as CACACACA. As animals in a certain population reproduce, their microsatellites are recombined which results in a pattern that is distinctive for that particular group. The more genetically diverse a certain population is, the better its chances for survival.
Above is a microsatellite sequence for a bison from the biology department of New Mexico Highlands University. According to Assistant Professor Jesús A. Rivas, this type of data will be collected on every animal involved with the BioPark reptile conservation programs. “We will see what differences there are (there may be some places where one individual has, say, a T and another has a G),” he said. “The number of those differences will tell us how diverse the population is...if all animals in that group have the same exact sequence, we will worry; if many individuals have small differences, that will tell us the population is diverse and is in better shape.”
****************End Graphic Insert********
All of these conservation projects will be conducted largely behind the scenes at the Zoo to protect the animals and prevent them from becoming overly accustomed to humans, said Hotle, although plans include eventually installing an informational kiosk and possibly even a live monitor feed so that visitors will be able to see these elusive and endangered animals in “real time.” According to Hotle, depending on how successful efforts become in building captive populations, some of the animals—especially the Sacramento salamanders--may go on exhibit, while others may be sent to other zoos, both to disperse the population so that “all of our eggs are not in one basket,” and also to educate people in other places about endangered species in New Mexico. “Exotic animals are great, but it’s good not to forget what’s in our own backyard,” said Hotle. “At the end of the day, our goal is to know we’ve been one of the driving forces to see results; to go out and do something good right here at home.”
DNA Link: Losing the U.S. population of Mexican garter snake, which is thought to be genetically distinct from the Mexican population, would create an irreparable imbalance in terms of the entire species’ diversity, distribution and ability to survive.
Less is More
Genetic Diversity of Invasive Species
One of the biggest threats to indigenous animals everywhere comes from invasive species that are unwittingly introduced into an ecosystem where they don’t belong and subsequently begin to reproduce and feed, not only on the native animals, but also on the vegetation and natural prey.
Two of the most problematic species for endangered aquatic reptiles in New Mexico are bullfrogs and crayfish, which, according to Doug Hotle, curator of herpetology at the ABQ BioPark, were probably introduced by fisherman dumping bait in the water and boats emptying ballast (which contains eggs, tadpoles and other life forms) in the watershed. Invasive animals also become established when people release unwanted pets into the wild.
“This is the biggest challenge in environmental biology,” said Jesús A. Rivas, assistant professor of biology at New Mexico Highlands University. “People have some of these animals as pets, which later escape or become too large; they get loose or are let go and either suffer horrible deaths or establish a population.”
Here in New Mexico, the bullfrogs eat not only the endangered garter snakes, but also their babies, the vegetation they rely on for cover and their food sources. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, bullfrogs have hunted leopard frogs, one of the Mexican garter snake’s primary food sources, nearly to the point of eradication.
When looking at the DNA of destructive, non-native species such as these, Rivas said that researchers hope to find very little diversity in the DNA profiles, the opposite of what is wanted for an endangered species. “We try to collect as much data as possible because the more we know about these species, the better chance we can control them,” he said. “If they have similar genetics, we know better how to manage them because it’s easier to figure out what they eat and what they do.”
PART II
Trait Secrets
DNA Improves Medicine, Stops Crime
A Hidden Heritage
Sometimes the search for answers leads only to more questions. Such was the case when Ralph Zimmerman, head veterinarian at the ABQ BioPark Zoo, decided it was time to find out why Matadi, a 29-year-old gorilla, had given birth successfully once (to Mashudu, a male, on July 13, 2001), but had lost two pregnancies since, one in 2004 and another in 2010 just two months before delivery.
After consulting with a human OB/GYN doctor here in Albuquerque, he ordered a DNA karyotyping that evaluates chromosomes and pinpoints genetic problems, along with routine cultures and other diagnostics. “We always do these tests in the case of spontaneous abortions to see if there’s a problem,” he said.
In Matadi’s case, according to Zimmerman, the karyotyping revealed that she has a condition called Mosaic Turner Syndrome, which means that she carries an extra X chromosome in some (but not all) of her cells. Females typically have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y (XY). Matadi, however has sporadic instances of three X chromosomes (XXX), which, Zimmerman said, does not affect her at all, but is sometimes suspected as a cause for the inability to carry a pregnancy to full term, and can also affect offspring.
That’s when they began looking at Mashudu, who had always seemed to be a bit long-limbed and lanky. While the nine-year-old gorilla has never shown signs of any problems, his slightly different physical characteristics, along with his mother’s diagnosis, caused Zimmerman to wonder if he had Klinefelter Syndrome. This genetic condition can be, but is not always, passed to male offspring of mothers who have incidents of XXX chromosomes, and is seen in the affected son as incidents of XXY chromosomes in some cells. The symptoms of this condition, according to the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, might include might lower testosterone production, taller, less muscular bodies and reduced coordination, but can vary and are usually not debilitating.
As far as Matadi’s condition, “there’s nothing to treat—she carries the trait,” said Zimmerman. “Because she’s Mosaic (meaning the condition is seen in only some of her cells), she won’t necessarily spread the condition, but nonetheless, she might be recommended not to breed anymore.”
He also said that staph infection is another possible cause for the repeated pregnancy problems. “Hope (another adult female at the Zoo) spontaneously aborted in November 2010 and we found staph in her uterus, so we’re suspecting that Matadi’s circumstances could be staph-related as well,” he said. “Marcus (the only silverback at the Zoo) is the common denominator, so we’re also treating him for staph, but nothing has yet been confirmed.”
As of April, tests also had not yet been run on Mashudu to confirm Klinefelter Syndrome, but will be conducted as part of an effort now underway to run complete physicals on all the great apes at the Zoo (see BioBits, page ***). Zimmerman said they are going to start taking blood samples for DNA profiles whenever they do physicals or medical procedures on any of the gorillas or orangutans in order to begin establishing a database of what is ‘normal’ for these animals. “Abnormalities in gorillas are similar to what you see in humans, but if we don’t start collecting the profiles, there’s nothing to compare against,” he said. “The more data we can carry on different species, the better.”
If tests indicate that Mashudu does, indeed, have Klinefelter Syndrome, Zimmerman said that he will not be recommended for breeding and instead, will be maintained in a bachelor herd for the rest of his life. “DNA testing is a very valuable tool in weeding out difficulties in breeding,” he said. “If we know what any one animal is carrying, we know how to deal with it.”
DNA Link: Genetically speaking, chimpanzees are most closely related to humans, sharing about 96 percent of the same DNA. By comparison, about 85 percent of our genes are the same as those of mice.—Source: National Institute of General Medical Sciences: www.nigms.nih.gov
Origins of an Illness
DNA Identifies Strains, Improves Treatment
Bacteria (and viruses), have unique DNA structures that can be profiled and traced as to place of origin, which helps doctors treat illnesses in both humans and animals much more efficiently. This technology has been particularly useful at the ABQ BioPark Zoo where Alice, the 37-year-old elephant, was diagnosed with tuberculosis during regular herd testing in February of this year.
“There are thousands of strains of this disease and DNA testing identifies the one we’re dealing with and tells us where in the world it comes from,” said Ralph Zimmerman, head veterinarian at the ABQ BioPark Zoo. “This makes a huge difference in how we treat it.”
He explained that when elephants contract TB, it is often from one of their handlers or keepers, but he also wanted to rule out the possibility that Alice had been infected by Irene, a 44-year-old elephant that arrived at the Zoo already infected with TB in 1998 after spending some time as part of a circus.
Irene’s case, said Zimmerman, is a bit tricky because she actually has three different strains of TB: two that are Asian in origin and one that is common near Seattle. “We’re guessing either that’s where she was before she came to this Zoo, or one of her handlers was from there (the Washington area),” said Zimmerman. “It tells a very interesting story.”
Another notable aspect of Irene’s story is that she was one of the very first elephants to be successfully treated for TB when vets here at the Zoo decided to use a year-long, multi-drug regimen that had been effective in humans, but never before tried in elephants. Now more than ten years later, Irene is healthy and asymptomatic.
As it turns out, Alice has an entirely different strain than Irene, and as of April, tests were still underway to determine its specific origin as well as its sensitivities. “Different strains are resistant to different drugs,” Zimmerman explained. “Once we know what we’re dealing with, we’ll decide exactly how to treat it.”
In the meantime, Alice shows no sign of symptoms and is doing just fine, said Zimmerman who explained that she will undergo a year-long treatment, similar to the one Irene received, and will be monitored for progress with trunk washes and blood tests.
Code of Justice
DNA Traps Poachers, Smugglers
In less than ten years, the use of DNA technology has been expanding to solve crimes against both humans and wildlife. In 2006, the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) began efforts to start a database containing DNA sequences of various species to provide a worldwide standard for identification. According to the International Barcode of Life Web site, scientists and collaborators from 25 nations will barcode five million specimens representing 500,000 species during the first phase of the official project which is scheduled to run between 2010 and 2015.
This information helps scientists identify previously unclassified animals and assign them to the proper species, and provides evidence for law enforcement by tracing the origin of contraband such as ivory, tiger pelts and bushmeat to a specific crime scene or individual animal. This will lead to an increasing number of convictions for smugglers, who were once nearly impossible to catch.
RhoDIS (Rhino DNA Identification System), based in South Africa, is the first database to be maintained for a specific species such that horns confiscated from criminals can now be traced back to individual rhinos and specific crime scenes. Demand for rhino horn as a medicinal ingredient has increased sharply over the last two years in newly affluent Asian countries, driving the per-kilo price to about 30 percent more than gold. As a result, rhino poaching has nearly tripled in South Africa since 2009, with approximately one rhino a day being killed according to an article published on All About Wildlife on February 28, 2011. However, the RhoDIS system, according to another article in NewScientist, November 20, 2010 has already helped convict leaders of established smuggling operations and authorities hope it will help them identify illegal trade routes, as well.
A similar database for elephants, maintained at the University of Washington in Seattle, helped trace 3.9 tons of ivory seized in Hong Kong in 2006 to Gabon, and 6.5 tons discovered in Singapore in 2002 to Zambia. This information had made business much more difficult for smugglers, who have historically covered their tracks by shipping ivory from a different country than where the elephants were killed. Information posted on Spiegel Online International reports that the ivory in Singapore was worth about $8.4 million and cost the lives of between 3,000 and 6,000 elephants.
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by Caduceus on September 27, 2011
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That's good for you but unfortunately none of this is relevant to the conversation at hand (scope shift <-- logical fallacy.) All of the sources I cited justified the points I made and everyone who views this forum is free to validate my deductions and the sources I used for my argument. It's interesting to watch you talk about yourself in a pointless attempt to rebuke my argument after I defeated you(kind of like watching a chicken with no head run around) but I am tired now and you have nothing or real value to say so I am going to bed. Good Night.
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by AquaHerp on September 27, 2011
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Okay.....thought not. Put up or shut up wasn't very fun eh?
I have grown bored and truly have better things to do.
Fear not lil' buckaroo, somehow the scientific world will go on without you.
DH
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by AquaHerp on September 27, 2011
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But...but...but...little buddy...
You asked where I got my knowledge of venomics, had ever written an essay, let alone piblished. What I knew about genetics.......
So, I reluctantly tossed it out there and now you don't want to play anymore?
All you defeated is my willingness to entertain you any further.
The sad part is, that you really think you are right based upon your subpar understanding of what you are reading and citing. You have the energy, the will, you just need to step back and gain the baseline knowledge.
Don't ask questions that you don't want answers to.
Although I am still amused at your reference to my "lies". I couldn't find anywhere in the entire thread that even remotely hinted towards this. On the contrary... your very first posting stated "I know, I have a masters degree in biology". I'm still chuckling at that one. Oh, and your usgae of the term "fallacy" over and over was getting painful. Please use the terms in thier proper context.
Thus concludes the time I will spend with you.
Be well little troll.
DH
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RE: Is Hybridization Ethical ?
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by Buzztail1 on September 28, 2011
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I'm sorry, this thread is no longer valid.
Any further posting to this thread will be summarily removed.
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