For the Sake of Science

Just over a year ago I wrote about the facial cancer that has been so deeply afflicting the Tasmanian devil population. Things have only become worse.

Tasmanian devil cancer is threatening to wipe out the entire species, and researchers say there are only around 2,000 left in the wild, according to Scientific American.

An infectious type of cancer called devil facial tumor disease first appeared in 1996 and has killed off 90 percent of the population of the famed carnivorous marsupial.

Scientific American notes that in the last nine months, the cancer die-offs have increased from 70 to 90 percent of the population, leaving researchers with no other choice than to fear the worst.

As I wrote last year (in this post), the disease ought to be considered a separate organism, free to undergo its own evolution. That’s exactly what has happened.

And to make matters worse, the cancer has turned into 13 different strains since it was first spotted, Sky News reports.

“The disease itself is a living organism and it wants to stay alive and it fights to stay alive,” David Schapp, a breeder at a Tasmanian devil facility, told Sky. “So when it meets devils that show some form of resistance to it, the disease evolves and changes so it gets to live and continue.”

This certainly is not the first time cancer has acted this way, but that doesn’t mean this is any less horrific. The most likely way the Tasmanian devil is going to be saved will be through human intervention. Fortunately, that is exactly what is in the works with the creation of temporary habitats. It isn’t the most ideal situation, but it is the best solution.

Filed under: Evolution, News | Tagged: cancer, David Schapp, Disease, Extinction, Facial cancer, Tasmanian Devil |