Dung beetle worms in PNAS
October 2, 2018 10:20 AM Subscribe
From Ed Yong: "TFW your genitals are full of sexually transmitted worms, and that's great news for your kids" (and you're a dung beetle).
Cristina C. Ledón-Rettig, Armin P. Moczek, and Erik J. Ragsdale. 2018. Diplogastrellus nematodes are sexually transmitted mutualists that alter the bacterial and fungal communities of their beetle host. PNAS https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809606115.
Cristina C. Ledón-Rettig, Armin P. Moczek, and Erik J. Ragsdale. 2018. Diplogastrellus nematodes are sexually transmitted mutualists that alter the bacterial and fungal communities of their beetle host. PNAS https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809606115.
History's greatest title, or history's greatest monster for writing that title?
You decide!
posted by tocts at 10:43 AM on October 2, 2018 [19 favorites]
You decide!
posted by tocts at 10:43 AM on October 2, 2018 [19 favorites]
I'm going to try this myself as soon as I get home.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 11:43 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 11:43 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
I dunno, I can imagine some pretty gross things.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:53 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:53 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Dung beetles: grosser than you imagined!
I dunno, I can imagine some pretty gross things.
I too have read some of Mefi's Own™ Charlie Stross's recent works.
posted by tclark at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2018
I dunno, I can imagine some pretty gross things.
I too have read some of Mefi's Own™ Charlie Stross's recent works.
posted by tclark at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2018
Made me think of Ted Cruz.
posted by nofundy at 12:18 PM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by nofundy at 12:18 PM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
I have often been glad that I am not a dung beetle, but never more than now.
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:19 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:19 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm going to try this myself as soon as I get home.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The
A great big ball of eponhysterical!
posted by doctornemo at 12:25 PM on October 2, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The
A great big ball of eponhysterical!
posted by doctornemo at 12:25 PM on October 2, 2018 [7 favorites]
Made me think of Ted Cruz.
every living thing referenced in this article is nobly contributing more benefit to the world than Ted Cruz ever has, so hdu.
posted by prize bull octorok at 12:26 PM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
every living thing referenced in this article is nobly contributing more benefit to the world than Ted Cruz ever has, so hdu.
posted by prize bull octorok at 12:26 PM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
AIIIIEEE THESE SOUND EVEN COOLER THAN WOLBACHIA ON ACCOUNT OF HOW THEY'RE NOT BACTERIA BUT NEMATODES
posted by sciatrix at 1:16 PM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by sciatrix at 1:16 PM on October 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
That is a great post title.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 1:34 PM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 1:34 PM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
isn't it though? I just looked at it again and audibly giggled.
posted by sciatrix at 1:41 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sciatrix at 1:41 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Sexually Transmitted Mutualists
Band name up for grabs.
In nature, adult O. taurus provide their offspring with larval nutrition in the form of a consumable “brood ball” constructed from mammalian herbivore (often cow) dung that supports beetle development from egg to adult. Furthermore, O. taurus mothers provide their offspring with a deposit of maternal fecal matter containing a fitness-enhancing microbiome
Huh. I had long assumed the dung-rolling of dung beetles was a food thing only. Interesting! And kinda gross.
Unfortunately, I feel like it's only a matter of time until Gwyneth Paltrow or another snake oil salesperson starts telling people to poop on their children.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:53 PM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Band name up for grabs.
In nature, adult O. taurus provide their offspring with larval nutrition in the form of a consumable “brood ball” constructed from mammalian herbivore (often cow) dung that supports beetle development from egg to adult. Furthermore, O. taurus mothers provide their offspring with a deposit of maternal fecal matter containing a fitness-enhancing microbiome
Huh. I had long assumed the dung-rolling of dung beetles was a food thing only. Interesting! And kinda gross.
Unfortunately, I feel like it's only a matter of time until Gwyneth Paltrow or another snake oil salesperson starts telling people to poop on their children.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:53 PM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
or Goop on their children
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:12 PM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:12 PM on October 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
ba-dum ching
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 3:15 PM on October 2, 2018
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 3:15 PM on October 2, 2018
Thank you, it is the thing I have accomplished this week that I am proudest of.
posted by ChuraChura at 3:46 PM on October 2, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 3:46 PM on October 2, 2018 [4 favorites]
Metafilter: full of sexually transmitted worms, and that's great news for your kids.
posted by CynicalKnight at 4:44 PM on October 2, 2018
posted by CynicalKnight at 4:44 PM on October 2, 2018
Metafilter: even cooler than Wolbachia
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:42 PM on October 2, 2018
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:42 PM on October 2, 2018
Human mothers slather their babies in vaginal microbes during birth.
"Honey, pass me the butter knife."
posted by benzenedream at 5:45 PM on October 2, 2018
"Honey, pass me the butter knife."
posted by benzenedream at 5:45 PM on October 2, 2018
Couldn’t you just, y’know, rub the jade egg over them?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:47 PM on October 2, 2018
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:47 PM on October 2, 2018
That is a great post title.
It really is. But I am slow, I had to read it out loud to get the joke.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:27 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
It really is. But I am slow, I had to read it out loud to get the joke.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:27 PM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
I thought I was the only one who read PNAS that way.
posted by wilberforce at 9:41 PM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by wilberforce at 9:41 PM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
No, literally everyone I know pronounces it "pee-nass" unless they're choosing to spell out "pee enn ay ess." It comes up at work a lot, too.
posted by sciatrix at 3:25 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sciatrix at 3:25 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by Fizz at 10:42 AM on October 2, 2018 [6 favorites]