Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted this question on Bryan Fry's website a few months ago and after over 300 views still got not one reply. I assume that's probably due to no defined answer without debunking Dr. Seymours theory. I figured I'd post it here just to get some others opinions and to just see what kind of theory's others may have about the theory. For the most part we are all already pretty familiar with the fact that no tests are going to be 100% exclusive so we can already weed out alot of them replies now.

I seen a special on animal planet about some testing being conducted on human heart cell cultures by Dr. Jamie Seymour. I'm sure most of you are already familiar with the tests. It's suppose to prove toxicity on humans and he claimed the Taipan as being most toxic for humans as well as mice. My question is that I can understand how that could answer questions as to potence of hemotoxic venoms with the destructive values but how can it answer any questions as to the potence of neurotoxins? Much less allow you to be able to compare the potence of hemotoxins to neurotoxin toxicity in humans?

I didn't see the show, and I don't have any special insight, but I think you hit the problem on the head. Different snake venoms (and sometimes the same one) can kill in many different ways. Even looking at just heart function, I would assume that at least some neurotoxic venoms could shut down/disrupt heart contraction even without directly affecting the heart cells. I don't see any way you're tell that by studying heart cells alone.
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

Why don't you send him an inquiry? Here's his university contact info: http://www.jcu.edu.au/interest/stingers/contacts.htm#contactstop