11 Dec 2016, 11:56 pm
UPDATE:
"Funds raised by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal have supported research that has seen evidence for the first time that some Tasmanian devils are capable of naturally recovering from the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease. ..............
Blood samples analysed at Menzies(Institute) found that six wild devils with DFTD developed an immune response to the cancer cells. Four of these devils recovered, but one relapsed and DFTD re-occurred.
The study was undertaken in north-western Tasmania in wild devils that have been systematically monitored by Biological Sciences scientists since the arrival of DFTD in 2006. The immune response was detected in fewer than 10% of the devils analysed, but the finding significantly assists scientists in their understanding of the biology of DFTD.
Until now there has been no convincing evidence that wild devils could recover from DFTD. This study suggests that some wild devils can develop an immune response to the cancer on their own."
Source: The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program
Obviously, the species is still in extreme jeopardy, but at least now there is a glimmer of hope. 
Sweetleaf
Veteran
Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,461
Location: Somewhere in Colorado
12 Dec 2016, 12:02 am
Why this anthropocentric blabla ?
Well, the vast majority of extinctions over the last 500 years have human attributed causes, a non human cause is rare.
It seems to me that a lot of the blaming of extinctions on humans is due to the fact that there is evidence that people were in the area at about that time. I would say you could argue that humans were a contributing factor, but I think people need to be pickier about the 'facts' they throw around.
Or use common sense, such as: humans entered the area, everything died right when they got there, obviously they did something that f****d up the ecology of the place.
Or that particular population was on the crux and one little additional element pushed them over the edge. I work with living things, I undoubtedly know more about life processes and applied biology then most people. What I said is that we can't always know the actual causes of such events, and we shouldn't jump to conclusions. If you want to stop something from dying, you need to stand back and view the situation with a clear eye, not have a knee-jerk reaction.
But isn't outright denying that people could have contributed without really looking into it also a knee jerk reaction.
Sweetleaf
Veteran
Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,461
Location: Somewhere in Colorado
12 Dec 2016, 12:06 am
"Funds raised by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal have supported research that has seen evidence for the first time that some Tasmanian devils are capable of naturally recovering from the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease. ..............
Blood samples analysed at Menzies(Institute) found that six wild devils with DFTD developed an immune response to the cancer cells. Four of these devils recovered, but one relapsed and DFTD re-occurred.
The study was undertaken in north-western Tasmania in wild devils that have been systematically monitored by Biological Sciences scientists since the arrival of DFTD in 2006. The immune response was detected in fewer than 10% of the devils analysed, but the finding significantly assists scientists in their understanding of the biology of DFTD.
Until now there has been no convincing evidence that wild devils could recover from DFTD. This study suggests that some wild devils can develop an immune response to the cancer on their own."
Source: The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program
Obviously, the species is still in extreme jeopardy, but at least now there is a glimmer of hope.
I am glad, last i heard of this was on some BBC nature documentary....but yeah the future seemed grim, so I am glad they have found more hopeful information.
14 Dec 2016, 4:17 am
"Funds raised by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal have supported research that has seen evidence for the first time that some Tasmanian devils are capable of naturally recovering from the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease. ..............
Blood samples analysed at Menzies(Institute) found that six wild devils with DFTD developed an immune response to the cancer cells. Four of these devils recovered, but one relapsed and DFTD re-occurred.
The study was undertaken in north-western Tasmania in wild devils that have been systematically monitored by Biological Sciences scientists since the arrival of DFTD in 2006. The immune response was detected in fewer than 10% of the devils analysed, but the finding significantly assists scientists in their understanding of the biology of DFTD.
Until now there has been no convincing evidence that wild devils could recover from DFTD. This study suggests that some wild devils can develop an immune response to the cancer on their own."
Source: The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program
Obviously, the species is still in extreme jeopardy, but at least now there is a glimmer of hope.
I am glad, last i heard of this was on some BBC nature documentary....but yeah the future seemed grim, so I am glad they have found more hopeful information.
likewise
15 Dec 2016, 9:53 pm
08 Jan 2017, 2:35 pm
