Hope for the Devil

[Recusant]

The Tasmanian Devil, that is. They've been dying off due to an epidemic of communicable cancer, and there was a real possibility that the wild population would be extinct soon. Now it seems as if they may survive.

"Tasmanian devil DNA shows signs of cancer fightback" | BBC

Fighting cancer with evolution: The Tasmanian Devil
Image Credit: Menna Jones

A genetic study of Tasmanian devils has uncovered signs that the animals are rapidly evolving to defend themselves against an infectious face cancer.

One of just three known transmissible cancers, this tumour has wiped out 80% of wild devils in the past 20 years.

Researchers looked at samples from 294 animals, in three different areas, before and after the disease arrived.

Two small sections of the devil genome appear to be changing very fast - and contain likely cancer-fighting genes.

[Continues . . .]

[Tank]

Natural selection at its best.

[Recusant]

Natural selection at its best.

[Creationist mode]Yeahbut it's just microevolution![/Creationist mode]

[Asmodean]

Natural selection at its best.

[Creationist mode]Yeahbut it's just microevolution![/Creationist mode]

[bettercreationistmode]Wrong. They live by the power of JESUS.  JESUS loves them and shelters them and cures their cancer. [/bettercreationistmode]

Evolution is a filthy lie concocted by those in rebellion against the Alpha Male in the sky. Those who secretly plot to, rather than submit, tear His larynges out and become Heavenly Alpha Males themselves, curse them! 

Oh! Right! Not in the Mode™ any more... Well, if I couldn't perform a laryngectomy on God, why would he be so threatened by my existence?