Review: Angler fish

Just wanted to share this amazing story of the life history of a deep sea fish. If you find random undirected chance as the creator of all life on earth, think deeper. Angler fish of the order Lophiiformes, primarily inhabit aphotic zones of the ocean. In the light-less abyss these fish rely on the use of large spine containing bio-luminescent bacteria the resemble bait in order to draw prey items toward the fish. Once the lure is contacted by a prey item, the mouth of the fish automatically closes, devouring prey. Further, the stomach and mouths of these fish can be extended up to two times its normal size to allow little discretion toward prey size. Since fish in the abyss are far and few between, mating is carried out through the attachment of male fish to the female. Once the male clamps onto the female, enzymes are released fusing the mouth of the male fish to the female's body. Following this fusion, the male fish slowing degenerates into little more than gonads, providing sperm to the female when necessary. Apparently, the male uses olfactory to locate the female.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglerfish

Brain Surgeon Wasp

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/03/wasp-performs-roachb.html

This is old news, but such an interesting story. Ampulex compressa, the emerald cockroach wasp has been shown to sting cockroaches in a precise manner to cause slight paralyzation and to retard escape reflexes (by stinging once in the abdomen and once in the ganglia). The wasp then leads the partially paralyzed cockroach back to its den using the roaches antennae. Once in the den the wasp lays an egg on the roach and seals up the den. When the wasp larvae emerges it works its way inside the roach and consumes the internal organs in such a way that the roach continues to stay alive until the wasp larvae forms an internal cocoon.

Such chance and complex interactions like this boggle my mind as undirected forces work to hopefully result in survival of species. How did these two species reach the point of such an interaction? Why did nature make it such a complex process?

Too simplify into components of this interaction: wasp = functional wings for flight (fast enough to escape most predators, correct size to provide lift), stinger (correct length for precise injection, venom control right size for adequate amount of venom release, i.e. enough to only slightly paralyze, stinger strength, i.e. strong enough to penetrate exoskeleton of roach), venom chemical components (chemicals in venom act to interupt/alter physiological processes of other organisms), host location (odor orientation/infrared detection), ganglia??? (engineering capablities to produce den, species specific host location, precise application of stinger).



Also:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/104533755/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

Appendix Not So Vestigial After All

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20071012/appendix-may-have-purpose. Interestingly, these findings provide some evidence that the appendix is a safe haven for good bacteria in the gut. The appendix was thought to have no function in the contemporary human body, rather an organ deselected by natures evolutionary forces. Historically, when evolutionary forces decided to make the appendix, humans, and human predecessors ate more cellulose, and the appendix aided in digestion of this complex carbohydrate.

Also:
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/10/appendix-not-so.html
http://www.newsdaily.com/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20071009-19525800-bc-us-appendix.xml