4 ms·

This could really have a positive effect on world wide health and I applaud the Gates foundation for taking on such lofty goals. Question though, despite absol

This could really have a positive effect on world wide health and I applaud the Gates foundation for taking on such lofty goals. Question though, despite absolutely loving the idea of a mosquito free world, is there a consequence to eliminating mosquitoes from the food chain?

cryptoz 15y ago
It seems as though we expect no adverse consequences to their total elimination: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html
- sliverstorm 15y ago
  I don't understand the conclusions that article draws. It spends 90% of it's time talking about how important mosquitos are, and then says "but that doesn't matter". I also think it's pretty ridiculous to assume some other insect will just fill in the gap before we wipe out untold numbers of plants and animals.
  - Terretta 15y ago
    This link was cited twice here, both times using the conclusion from the article's subhead: "Eradicating any organism would have serious consequences for ecosystems — wouldn't it? Not when it comes to mosquitoes, finds Janet Fang." But I agree with you -- careful reading of the article itself suggests otherwise. For example, "Taken all together, then, mosquitoes would be missed in the Arctic — but is the same true elsewhere?" or "the loss of these or other fish could have major effects up and down the food chain" or "without mosquitoes, thousands of plant species would lose a group of pollinators." Any "but that doesn't matter" commentary is couched in weasel words like "unlikely", and the concluding quote is from a mosquito control association. Finally, article makes this remark, "Ultimately, there seem to be few things that mosquitoes do that other organisms can't do just as well — except perhaps for one. They are lethally efficient at sucking blood from one individual and mainlining it into another, providing an ideal route for the spread of pathogenic microbes." We don't know the long term effects to evolutionary processes of losing that inter-species blood to blood route, and I for one would like to see a citation saying such a mechanism, existing since the Cambrian era 79 million years ago, is irrelevant at large time scales. // Disclaimer: Almost everyone in my family contracted malaria while living in Africa.
    - mun2mun 15y ago
      Yes, man made change of ecosystems DO have a serious impact on nature. Check out feral cat control example in Australia http://www.convictcreations.com/animals/feralcat.htm http://www.convictcreations.com/animals/feralcat.htm .

cryptoz 15y ago

It seems as though we expect no adverse consequences to their total elimination: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html

sliverstorm 15y ago
I don't understand the conclusions that article draws. It spends 90% of it's time talking about how important mosquitos are, and then says "but that doesn't matter". I also think it's pretty ridiculous to assume some other insect will just fill in the gap before we wipe out untold numbers of plants and animals.
- Terretta 15y ago
  This link was cited twice here, both times using the conclusion from the article's subhead: "Eradicating any organism would have serious consequences for ecosystems — wouldn't it? Not when it comes to mosquitoes, finds Janet Fang." But I agree with you -- careful reading of the article itself suggests otherwise. For example, "Taken all together, then, mosquitoes would be missed in the Arctic — but is the same true elsewhere?" or "the loss of these or other fish could have major effects up and down the food chain" or "without mosquitoes, thousands of plant species would lose a group of pollinators." Any "but that doesn't matter" commentary is couched in weasel words like "unlikely", and the concluding quote is from a mosquito control association. Finally, article makes this remark, "Ultimately, there seem to be few things that mosquitoes do that other organisms can't do just as well — except perhaps for one. They are lethally efficient at sucking blood from one individual and mainlining it into another, providing an ideal route for the spread of pathogenic microbes." We don't know the long term effects to evolutionary processes of losing that inter-species blood to blood route, and I for one would like to see a citation saying such a mechanism, existing since the Cambrian era 79 million years ago, is irrelevant at large time scales. // Disclaimer: Almost everyone in my family contracted malaria while living in Africa.
  - mun2mun 15y ago
    Yes, man made change of ecosystems DO have a serious impact on nature. Check out feral cat control example in Australia http://www.convictcreations.com/animals/feralcat.htm http://www.convictcreations.com/animals/feralcat.htm .