Posted by:
natsamjosh
at Thu May 7 20:11:41 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by natsamjosh ]
The DNA study was done by Florida International University. I was hoping it was going to be more useful, but I'm not sure how conclusive it is. They did conclude that most/all of the pythons were very closely related, but then seemed to fall short of saying if that was due to one or two catastrophic local escapes. The left open the possibility is was due to a limited gene pool of all burms in the US, which doesn't rule out the Joe-Sixpack theory. So I'm not sure what the point of the study was??? I still believe all the circumstantial evidence points to the Hurricane theory, though.
Abstract:
http://www.fiu.edu/ugs/announcements/m_d_as_2008_may_9.html
Full article:
http://www.usark.org/uploads/FloridaBurmGenetics.pdf
Thanks, Ed
>>I'd be curious to know which facility it was that the snakes escaped from and how far this was from the park. But, I don't know how far these animals are capable of travelling on their own or if they would have the senses to navigate towards the park anyway. >> >>There was a famous facility everyone refers to that bordered the park. It was blown to smithereens (I always wanted to write that!) during Andrew and now snakes were recovered. >> >>I have heard reference to a genetic study to show the Everglades burms originated from a very small gene pool. Just as one would expect if they started from a single introduction. >> >>I suspect they would know nothing of where the park is. They would simply gravitate to suitable habitat. That is why they are rarely found anywhere but the 'glades and surrounding habitat. Elsewhere the land is not suitable python habitat. >> >>FWIW "Blown to smithereens" is a proper way to describe the destruction from a hurricane. Low pressure hurricane air outside a building causes the high pressure inside air to expand a literally blowing the doors and windows off a building! >>----- >>AMAZON REPTILE CENTER
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