Cockroaches are Evolving

[Jim Koepke]

Cockroach evolution is being caused partially from the bait used in poisons used to control infestations:


Back in 1993, scientists working at North Carolina State University discovered a trait in the German cockroach, a species that inhabits every continent except Antarctica. Specifically, these new cockroaches seemed to have no affection for a form of sugar called glucose, which was strange because — as anyone who has ever battled against a cockroach infestation knows — cockroaches normally cannot get enough of the sweet stuff.

So, where did these new, health-conscious cockroaches come from?

It seems we created them by accident, after decades of trying to kill their ancestors with sweet powders and liquids laced with poison. The cockroaches that craved sweets ate the poison and died, while cockroaches less keen on glucose avoided the death traps and survived long enough to breed, thus passing that trait down to the next cockroach generation.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/science/cockroach-sugar-sex.html

jtk

[Michael Weber]

I’m always amazed at evolutionary adaptations. Due to centuries of smallpox outbreaks in Northern Europe I have natural immunity to that disease and other more modern that attack human cells in the same way. Had to take the vaccine shot as a child 3 times because I never reacted to it. Sickle Cell was an evolutionary adaptation against malaria eons ago. Not a good thing now of course but at the time it greatly increased life expectancy in tropical mosquito infested environments.

[glenn bradley]

Drat! They're on to me . . .

[Bruce Wrenn]

Same goes for bed bugs. Most are no longer affected by the over the counter treatments. One thing that still kills cockroaches is Boric acid.

[Doug Garson]

Not evolution but reminds me of something we were told by a guy in Costa Rica. There are two varieties of Jack Fruit trees. One forms the fruit near the ground the other high up. Apparently in Africa the variety with the fruit high up has been wiped out by elephants who knock down the trees with the high fruit while they harvest the fruit from the lower variety without serious damage to the tree.

[Curt Harms]

I hear and see cockroaches evolving or at least becoming more clever on the 6:00 news.

[Bill Dufour]

I hear cockroaches will be the only animal to survive a nuclear holocaust. I do not rmemeber why.
Bill D.

[Rollie Meyers]

Now the cockroaches are in Congress. :D

[Jack Frederick]

…and it seems we evolve back towards them.