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by Nightkill the Emperor » Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:53 pm
Nat: Night's always in some bizarre state somewhere between "intoxicated enough to kill a hair metal lead singer" and "annoying Mormon missionary sober".
Swith: It's because you're so awesome. God himself refreshes the screen before he types just to see if Nightkill has written anything while he was off somewhere else.
by Augarundus » Sat Aug 25, 2012 10:53 pm
The Mongol Ilkhanate wrote:op
by Miss Defied » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:02 pm
Nightkill the Emperor wrote:Well, I'll sleep well at night.
by Wikkiwallana » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:07 pm
The Mongol Ilkhanate wrote:Don't you think it'd be too evolutionarily complicated?http://www.oceanographerschoice.com/2011/07/the-most-repulsive-barnacle-in-the-world/
(Image)The rhizocephala are a superorder within the subclass Thecostraca, the group of crustaceans that includes all the barnacles, but their form is highly modified from the familiar acorn and gooseneck barnacles. The only visual indication we have that these creatures are related to the other barnacles is their nauplius and cyprid larvae. In the normal barnacles, these larvae find a rock, stick themselves to it, grow a shell, and spend the rest of their days filter feeding.
Rhizocephalan larvae do not settle on rocks. Instead, the females settle on other crustaceans–usually crabs, and usually on the gills, where the crab’s exoskeleton is thinnest. This is important, because soon after settling, the larva injects its soft innards into the crab. This may take place through one of the larva’s antennae, wielded like a hypodermic needle, or the larva may molt and stick itself on the crab while it develops a special stylet inside its body. When the time is right, it everts this poker into the crab and injects its guts as a worm-like body called a vermigon.
This is where it starts to get really awful. The injected mass of visceral cells, now called the “interna,” starts to grow inside the host’s fluid-filled cavities, branching out root-like through the entire body, but concentrating on the digestive tract. Somehow, the parasite keeps the host’s immune system from attacking this network of invasive threads while it grows, drawing nourishment continuously from the host’s precious bodily fluids.
When mature, the female interna extrudes an appendage out of the host’s body. This is called the externa, and it is little more than a gently-pulsing sac of gonads, attached to the host’s body by a short stalk, emitting a trail of pheremones to attract male larvae. When these larvae arrive, they land on the externa, and inject their soft insides into it. They then migrate into special seminal receptacles and fuse with the female, becoming nothing more than soft clumps of sperm-producing tissue, themselves parasitic on the already-parasitic female. Eggs are fertilized and released, and the cycle begins again.
But wait–it gets even sicker. In many cases, the externa is extruded under the crab’s tail flap, where it would carry its own eggs. Some species of rhizocephalans actually chemically castrate the crab, and then modify its behavior–that is, perform mind control–compelling it to take care of the parasite’s gonads as if they were the crab’s own children. This works even in males, who don’t ever carry eggs, and never exhibit any of these behaviors on their own. In these cases, the crab stops growing, and never molts again. It spends the rest of its days as a kind of zombie, eating food that will be sucked out of its digestive tract by the parasite that destroyed and replaced its reproductive system.
Now aren’t you glad you know all that?
Why do things like this even exist?
Dumb Ideologies wrote:Halt!
Just because these people are stupid, wrong and highly dangerous does not mean you have the right to make them feel sad.
Avenio wrote:Just so you know, the use of the term 'sheep' 'sheeple' or any other herd animal-based terminology in conjunction with an exhortation to 'think outside the box' or stop going along with groupthink generally indicates that the speaker is actually more closed-minded on the subject than the people that he/she is addressing. At least, in my experience at least.
by Birkinghamia » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:09 pm
by Transhuman Proteus » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:14 pm
The Mongol Ilkhanate wrote:http://www.oceanographerschoice.com/2011/07/the-most-repulsive-barnacle-in-the-world/
(Image)The rhizocephala are a superorder within the subclass Thecostraca, the group of crustaceans that includes all the barnacles, but their form is highly modified from the familiar acorn and gooseneck barnacles. The only visual indication we have that these creatures are related to the other barnacles is their nauplius and cyprid larvae. In the normal barnacles, these larvae find a rock, stick themselves to it, grow a shell, and spend the rest of their days filter feeding.
Rhizocephalan larvae do not settle on rocks. Instead, the females settle on other crustaceans–usually crabs, and usually on the gills, where the crab’s exoskeleton is thinnest. This is important, because soon after settling, the larva injects its soft innards into the crab. This may take place through one of the larva’s antennae, wielded like a hypodermic needle, or the larva may molt and stick itself on the crab while it develops a special stylet inside its body. When the time is right, it everts this poker into the crab and injects its guts as a worm-like body called a vermigon.
This is where it starts to get really awful. The injected mass of visceral cells, now called the “interna,” starts to grow inside the host’s fluid-filled cavities, branching out root-like through the entire body, but concentrating on the digestive tract. Somehow, the parasite keeps the host’s immune system from attacking this network of invasive threads while it grows, drawing nourishment continuously from the host’s precious bodily fluids.
When mature, the female interna extrudes an appendage out of the host’s body. This is called the externa, and it is little more than a gently-pulsing sac of gonads, attached to the host’s body by a short stalk, emitting a trail of pheremones to attract male larvae. When these larvae arrive, they land on the externa, and inject their soft insides into it. They then migrate into special seminal receptacles and fuse with the female, becoming nothing more than soft clumps of sperm-producing tissue, themselves parasitic on the already-parasitic female. Eggs are fertilized and released, and the cycle begins again.
But wait–it gets even sicker. In many cases, the externa is extruded under the crab’s tail flap, where it would carry its own eggs. Some species of rhizocephalans actually chemically castrate the crab, and then modify its behavior–that is, perform mind control–compelling it to take care of the parasite’s gonads as if they were the crab’s own children. This works even in males, who don’t ever carry eggs, and never exhibit any of these behaviors on their own. In these cases, the crab stops growing, and never molts again. It spends the rest of its days as a kind of zombie, eating food that will be sucked out of its digestive tract by the parasite that destroyed and replaced its reproductive system.
Now aren’t you glad you know all that?
Why do things like this even exist? Don't you think it'd be too evolutionarily complicated?
I'm actually not going to. I'm just wondering why it went to such trouble...
It does indeed, but one would think there's an easier way...
Be a very simple, rapidly producing parasite, like the other worms? I dunno. The confusion is mostly due to the fact I don't want it to be true
by Shnercropolis » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:15 pm
by Wikkiwallana » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:18 pm
Miss Defied wrote:The Mongol Ilkhanate wrote:I'm actually not going to. I'm just wondering why it went to such trouble...
Well in that case, by "it" do you mean rhizocephala? It went to that much trouble because it figured out how to maximize it's own ability to survive and thrive by doing the least amount of work possible. So it evolved to create this complex method of living off of another creature much to the detriment of said creature. We have something similar in the human species as well. They're called "derivatives traders."
Dumb Ideologies wrote:Halt!
Just because these people are stupid, wrong and highly dangerous does not mean you have the right to make them feel sad.
Avenio wrote:Just so you know, the use of the term 'sheep' 'sheeple' or any other herd animal-based terminology in conjunction with an exhortation to 'think outside the box' or stop going along with groupthink generally indicates that the speaker is actually more closed-minded on the subject than the people that he/she is addressing. At least, in my experience at least.
by Jewcrew » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:18 pm
by Xathranaar » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:28 pm
by Empire of Narnia » Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:45 pm
by Risottia » Sun Aug 26, 2012 2:54 am
Jewcrew wrote:I have added this creature to my list of animals that I believe G-d created just to screw with humanity.
It also includes the platypus, the emperor penguin and the panda.
Nightkill the Emperor wrote:Well, I'll sleep well at night.
by Jewcrew » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:00 am
Risottia wrote:Jewcrew wrote:I have added this creature to my list of animals that I believe G-d created just to screw with humanity.
It also includes the platypus, the emperor penguin and the panda.
The platypus, I can understand.
But the panda and the emperor penguin? They seem sort of ordinary, everyday-common-sense animals, except for the liking for extreme temperatures and the bamboo-only thing.Nightkill the Emperor wrote:Well, I'll sleep well at night.
I'll sleep better knowing I'm not a crab.
by Risottia » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:05 am
Jewcrew wrote:Its therunningwalking and swimming joke of the bird world.
The panda is a bear - a carnivorous animal with a carnivorous digestive tract not designed to break down plant matter - that eats grass. And it needs help to have sex. Edit: In case you didn't know, bamboo is a type of grass.
by Jewcrew » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:11 am
Risottia wrote:Jewcrew wrote:Its therunningwalking and swimming joke of the bird world.
Fixed. Have you ever seen a penguin trying to run?
Anyway, yeah, a bit of a fail of an animal, but not disturbing.The panda is a bear - a carnivorous animal with a carnivorous digestive tract not designed to break down plant matter - that eats grass. And it needs help to have sex. Edit: In case you didn't know, bamboo is a type of grass.
I know, but that's just a bit sad - and clearly bound for extinction if some stupid humans didn't think that masturbating pandas is a good way to spend some time...
But not downright creepy and scary as the possession-by-barnacle thingy.
by Xathranaar » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:14 am
The emperor penguin is a flightless bird that lives in the most inhospitable landscape on Earth and its feeding ground is literally hundreds of miles from its breeding grounds. Its the running joke of the bird world.
by Divair » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:16 am
Xathranaar wrote:The emperor penguin is a flightless bird that lives in the most inhospitable landscape on Earth and its feeding ground is literally hundreds of miles from its breeding grounds. Its the running joke of the bird world.
If it's a joke, I must have missed the punchline.
The Emperor Penguin lives on the most inhospitable land on earth and travels miles from its feeding grounds to a climate so severe that few predictors can hope to survive it. It is a supreme swimmer, and one tough motherfucker. It is the bad-ass of the bird world.
by Jewcrew » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:16 am
Xathranaar wrote:The emperor penguin is a flightless bird that lives in the most inhospitable landscape on Earth and its feeding ground is literally hundreds of miles from its breeding grounds. Its the running joke of the bird world.
If it's a joke, I must have missed the punchline.
The Emperor Penguin lives on the most inhospitable land on earth and travels miles from its feeding grounds to a climate so severe that few predictors can hope to survive it. It is a supreme swimmer, and one tough motherfucker. It is the bad-ass of the bird world.
by Jewcrew » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:17 am
Divair wrote:Xathranaar wrote:If it's a joke, I must have missed the punchline.
The Emperor Penguin lives on the most inhospitable land on earth and travels miles from its feeding grounds to a climate so severe that few predictors can hope to survive it. It is a supreme swimmer, and one tough motherfucker. It is the bad-ass of the bird world.
They're training for their invasion of the world.
by JuNii » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:18 am
by Radiatia » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:23 am
by Transhuman Proteus » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:28 am
Radiatia wrote:Ah yes, parasites, another of God's beautiful creatures that he lovingly and carefully designed. While on LSD.
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