3 ms·
At a macro level, one would expect that the 'baseline' mosquito population represents an equilibrium level due to competing factors within in the local environm
by JackFr 7y ago
At a macro level, one would expect that the 'baseline' mosquito population represents an equilibrium level due to competing factors within in the local environment.
While it seems very clear that releasing the GM mosquitos would never permanently alter this equilibrium, it's not obvious to me (not a biologist) that it would even work with continuing release of the GM mosquitos. It seems to assume that the limiting factor on population is the number of offspring. If the limiting factor were competition for food or some other resource it seems like other mosquitos would fill in to replace the GM ones who died early.
- bayesian_horse 7y agoAs far as I know they only release males, so the males will inevitably impregnate a certain number of normal females, which will have weaker offspring. So no, it's not a permanent fix, because the survivors will repopulate the ecosystem over time. But there was a significant collapse of the population for a time. And that's a win, in terms of Malaria prevention.
- bencollier49 7y agoAnd a loss, for all their predators?
- bayesian_horse 7y agoThey can cope. There is nothing natural about any population size in the mosquitoes we are concerned about. They don't procreate in natural ponds, most of the times, but in whatever bodies of water the Humans provided them through one way or another. And even then, those populations boom and bust all the time, without further intervention. We'd just rather like them to go more bust than boom, in general.
- littlestymaar 7y ago> And that's a win, in terms of Malaria prevention. This experiment was not about Malaria (spread by the Anopheles genus) this is about Aedes aegypti the species which spreads Zika and Dengue fever.