Comment Re:Creepy Philosphy Note... & a Practial Appli (Score 1) 39
It's not just other species of flies that you would have to worry about. Research on Drosophila has turned up countless genes that effect behavior and have analogs in the human genome that act in similar ways. It's more unusual to find a fly gene that doesn't have a human analog that to find one that does.
Vertebrates and Invertebrates have been evolving independently for hundreds of millions of years, yet they still have much in common at the molecular level. A general introduction of behavior-modifying chemicals to the environment could potentially disrupt the behavior of just about any animal in the area.
Also, I see little reason to assume that behavioral poisons would be less expensive than lethal poisons, so where is the advantage in this approach?
Vertebrates and Invertebrates have been evolving independently for hundreds of millions of years, yet they still have much in common at the molecular level. A general introduction of behavior-modifying chemicals to the environment could potentially disrupt the behavior of just about any animal in the area.
Also, I see little reason to assume that behavioral poisons would be less expensive than lethal poisons, so where is the advantage in this approach?
