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How Vampire Bats Evolved To Live On Blood Alone

New research has discovered some of the genetic changes that allowed vampire bats to live on a diet of pure blood. One of the bats' most important evolutionary traits is the ability to manipulate an anticoagulant protein in their blood and saliva. In humans similar proteins protect against heart attack by breaking up blood clots and clearing vessels.

82 comments

  1. Simple Really by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    They just needed to pass the BAR exam.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Simple Really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh c'mon, knock it off! As if bats don't have a bad enough image as it is :(

    2. Re:Simple Really by zappepcs · · Score: 1

      I think your comment is the only one needed for this story!

    3. Re:Simple Really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you're on to something:

      "Once you're pulling insects off of a mammal, it's a very small step to going after the blood,"

    4. Re:Simple Really by Horny+Hot+Babes+Rule · · Score: 1

      And incase they don't pass the Bar exam, there is always Wallstreet.

    5. Re:Simple Really by R2.0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      HEY - my wife's a lawyer! How dare you compare her to a bloodsucking...

      Nevermind.

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    6. Re:Simple Really by intelligent-idiot · · Score: 1

      Hey I've passed the bar exam numerous times... on my way to the pub!

    7. Re:Simple Really by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 4, Funny

      If you're lucky, your wife is good at sucking...

    8. Re:Simple Really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      ... if it weren't for the sharp teeth, you would be right

  2. Let's do some REAL science. by snowraver1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who care? What we all really want to know is how Batman evolved from human to hero. Are the tights the key?

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    1. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by Drooling+Iguana · · Score: 5, Funny

      That, and a steady supply of underage circus performers.

      --
      ... I'm addicted to placebos
    2. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by camperdave · · Score: 4, Informative
      1. Start with rich parents and a butler trained in combat medicine.
      2. Grow up on a diet of classic mystery novels, and masked vigilantes like Zorro
      3. Have a terrifying and traumatic event happen, like falling into a cave full of bats
      4. Get taken to a stage production of Zorro
      5. Have another traumatic event happen, like having both your parents shot in front of you
      6. Follow that up with years of schooling in chemistry, psychology, criminalistics, combat training, gymnastics training, demolitions, various martial arts, etc
      7. Buy/make all sorts of fancy weapons and climbing gear
      8. Put together a costume that will inspire fear and protect your identity
      9. Get a searchlight installed on the police station rooftop

      Really, this has been extensivly documented. Might I suggest starting with the graphic novel Batman: Year One

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    3. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by the_B0fh · · Score: 1

      Please. Graphic Novels. Bah. You need to go back to the original source.

    4. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 1

      Parts 5 & 6 make it really tough to hide your identity in the Age of Data Collection & Misplacement.

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      My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
    5. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

      God damnit, so close and I'm stuck with this stupid butler trained in holistic medicine!

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    6. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by Facegarden · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You forgot:

      Be a Billionare.

      But its okay, thats the easy part...
      -Taylor

      --
      Worldwide Military budgets: $2100 billion. Worldwide Space Exploration budgets: $38 billion. Really, world? Really?
    7. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YES! That is it!

      So, now all i need to do is eliminate them, then Batman will be doomed, forever!
      Haaa ha ha ha

    8. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by cthulu_mt · · Score: 1

      Carved stone tablets?

      Should I just get off your lawn now?

      --
      Virginia is for lovers. EVE is for griefers.
    9. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by pete-classic · · Score: 1

      Excellent book.

      Regarding number eight: Do you like my fangs? They're haunted.

      -Peter

    10. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah that makes me the ideal candidate but I'm lacking one vital ingredient... The rich parents.

      Anyone care to donate?

    11. Re:Let's do some REAL science. by the_B0fh · · Score: 1

      Obviously someone didn't buy the original comics when they first came out :)

      And yes, gerrof my lawn, darnit! :)

  3. Simple. by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    "They live on blood because that's how God designed them!"
    Sarah Palin

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Simple. by R2.0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I swear, half of Slashdot is secretly hoping McCain wins, because if he loses, they won't have anything to post.

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    2. Re:Simple. by Facegarden · · Score: 1

      I swear, half of Slashdot is secretly hoping McCain wins, because if he loses, they won't have anything to post.

      If he does win, we wont have anything to post on, because the world will have been bombed to hell.
      -Taylor
      (Note: I'm kidding.... sort of.)

      --
      Worldwide Military budgets: $2100 billion. Worldwide Space Exploration budgets: $38 billion. Really, world? Really?
    3. Re:Simple. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      If he loses, we won't be able to cry ourselves to sleep anymore.

    4. Re:Simple. by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Funny

      I swear, half of Slashdot is secretly hoping McCain wins, because if he loses, they won't have anything to post.

      I'm not worried, since Palin has promised to continue providing us with material in either case.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    5. Re:Simple. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      He is at the edge of death. Let McCain wins the election and get Palin as president in a year.

      OTOH, Obama would probably follow the same path than Lincoln and Kennedy.

    6. Re:Simple. by blair1q · · Score: 1

      Rush Limbaugh just signed a half-billion dollar media contract.

      You can bet the need for responsible refutation of right-wing lies will not be eliminated by the simple expedient of clearing them out of the White House and Congress.

      And it'll be a decade or more before the Supreme Court is wrested from their cold, dead, Strict Manipulationist fingers.

    7. Re:Simple. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the other half is just hoping he'll win, regardless.

    8. Re:Simple. by macdaddy357 · · Score: 1

      Once upon a time a man was attacked by a vampire bird
      He was sucked to death
      The vampire bird killed him at last

      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat

      The lake of fire tore his ass up
      He was burning to the crisp
      He was cast into the lake of burning flame

      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      After the vampire bird sucked blood out of me
      He started stabbing me in my ass
      Then three more vampire birds stabbed me in my ass too
      They sucked the blood out of me killing me

      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat
      Vampire bat

      Rock over London, rock on Chicago Folgers - it's good to the last drop

      --
      How ya like dat?
  4. What it should be. by Vidorin · · Score: 1

    Drinking blood is cool and all with the genome project (even though they're saying there isn't one but if there was) but that's only the way vampires feed. How about they do something useful and give us immortality and the strength of 20 dudes and all the other cool abilities? Then I'll be impressed, oh yeah and none of the weaknesses. Happy Halloween everyone!

    1. Re:What it should be. by moderatorrater · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Or just make all the women look like Kate Beckinsale. Being bitten on the neck is a small price to pay for my wife having that body.

    2. Re:What it should be. by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Funny

      How about they do something useful and give us immortality and the strength of 20 dudes and all the other cool abilities? Then I'll be impressed, oh yeah and none of the weaknesses.

      Hell I honestly think I could live with the weaknesses if it meant immortality.

      I mean seriously what do vampires have against them? An inability to interact with religious objects, an aversion to sunlight, no reflection, and they can't eat garlic?

      I'd bet that 1 and 2 aren't an issue for most Slashdotters anyways, and most probably don't care about their own reflection either (heck usually when I see mine it's a glare on my screen so if I didn't show up then all the better). The garlic thing might be an issue, but I'm sure me and Papa John's could work something out.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    3. Re:What it should be. by nomadic · · Score: 2, Funny

      Did you show your wife this comment?

    4. Re:What it should be. by reverseengineer · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The NY Times had an interesting story last week about creatures that dine on blood.

      Apparently, most obligate hematophages tend to be very small- insects and such, because blood is not an ideal source of nutrition. In particular, blood has almost no dietary fat, so a large hematophage like a vampire bat, "must consume the equivalent of half their one-ounce body weight in blood every night or risk starving to death."

      Also, apparently blood is about 95% water, and so to keep from gaining too much water weight, vampire bats "urinate freely as they feed." That's a detail that seems to be missing from most vampire movies.

      --
      "FDA staff reviewers expressed concern about the number of patients who were left out of the study because they died."
    5. Re:What it should be. by Billhead · · Score: 2, Funny

      As if you go out in the sun much anyways.

    6. Re:What it should be. by R2.0 · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Or just make all the women look like Kate Beckinsale. Being bitten on the neck is a small price to pay for my wife having that body."

      Yeah, but you also get made into her slave and enter into a life of servitude...oh, wait...

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    7. Re:What it should be. by R2.0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      "That's a detail that seems to be missing from most vampire movies."

      I'm sure Ann Rice covered watersports somewhere in her books.

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    8. Re:What it should be. by R2.0 · · Score: 1

      "The NY Times had an interesting story last week about creatures that dine on blood."

      Given that it's the political season, aren't MOST of their stories about bloodsuckers?

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    9. Re:What it should be. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      not to mention all that iron... geez, it must be a sad part of the day when they have to go #2

    10. Re:What it should be. by jonaskoelker · · Score: 2, Funny

      No garlic? Count me out!

      Wait, are you saying that's why I'm such a "hit" at parties?

    11. Re:What it should be. by tngaijin · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hell I honestly think I could live with the weaknesses if it meant immortality.

      I mean seriously what do vampires have against them? An inability to interact with religious objects, an aversion to sunlight, no reflection, and they can't eat garlic?

      I'd bet that 1 and 2 aren't an issue for most Slashdotters anyways, and most probably don't care about their own reflection either (heck usually when I see mine it's a glare on my screen so if I didn't show up then all the better). The garlic thing might be an issue, but I'm sure me and Papa John's could work something out.

      "Just send over a delivery guy with marinara sauce, pepperoni and cheese on his neck please."

    12. Re:What it should be. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe his wife IS Kate Beckinsale, and he's speaking from experience.

    13. Re:What it should be. by crossmr · · Score: 1

      Why is this funny? Did people think he was joking? he should be modded informative or insightful..

    14. Re:What it should be. by Hillview · · Score: 1

      Blood has no dietary fat? Tell that to my cardiologist, please.. ;)

      --
      -Troll, Flamebait, and Offtopic are NOT equivalent to disagreement.
    15. Re:What it should be. by TheLink · · Score: 1

      Actually lots of women might agree with him.

      Many put up with a lot of worse crap than a small bite, just to get better looking bodies, and those treatments often don't work or don't work well.

      --
    16. Re:What it should be. by dajalas · · Score: 1

      "urinate freely as they feed."

      Holy urination, Batman! :)

  5. Off Topic by Number6.2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fly, my Children! FLY! Bwaha ha ah ah ha ha ha ah ah ha!

    --
    "If god did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him" --Voltaire
  6. Only one thing left by rarel · · Score: 1

    Just put friggin' lasers on their friggin heads!

    Imagine, flying blood-sucking death laser pointers... Deadly AND entertaining, Win-win! >:D

    1. Re:Only one thing left by Drooling+Iguana · · Score: 1

      Deadly AND entertaining

      Isn't that a bit redundant?

      --
      ... I'm addicted to placebos
    2. Re:Only one thing left by R2.0 · · Score: 1

      Deadly AND entertaining

      Isn't that a bit redundant?

      I dunno - seasonal flu kills thousands, and there's not a whole lot of humor in vomiting and diarrhea.

      Unless you are into that sort of thing.

      Not that there's anything wrong with that...

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    3. Re:Only one thing left by Quantos · · Score: 1

      I dunno - seasonal flu kills thousands, and there's not a whole lot of humor in vomiting and diarrhea.
      Unless you are into that sort of thing.

      When two people love each other, then sometimes....

      --
      Some people are only alive because it's against the law for me to hunt them down and kill them.
    4. Re:Only one thing left by gnick · · Score: 1

      You mean that 2girls1cup wasn't a comedy sketch? That explains why I was the only one laughing while everyone else in the room was retching...

      That almost makes it sound like there's something wrong with me instead of them.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  7. Far more interesting...... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How did couch potatoes evolve to live on Cheetos?

    1. Re:Far more interesting...... by Kozar_The_Malignant · · Score: 1

      How did couch potatoes evolve to live on Cheetos?

      Cheetos don't run very fast.

      And why, if it is potatoes and tomatoes, isn't it Cheetoes?

      --
      Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
  8. Dude, you forgot steps... by thenewguy001 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    10. ???
    11. Profit!!!

  9. how do they get away with it? by Khashishi · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mosquitos have stealth going for them, but I really don't understand how a bat is gonna feed on a mammal without getting beaten off. I mean, you can't really not notice a one-ounce hairy beast sucking on your neck and pissing on you at the same time. If a bat tried to feed on me, I'd pound it to a pulp.

    1. Re:how do they get away with it? by onkelonkel · · Score: 2, Funny

      Some animals sleep.

      --
      None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
    2. Re:how do they get away with it? by DRAGONWEEZEL · · Score: 1

      four legged mamals have difficulty beating anything not directly in front of them.

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    3. Re:how do they get away with it? by MaxwellEdison · · Score: 2, Funny

      They feed while their prey is sleeping. If you don't believe me, ask the one waiting on the back of your curtains.

      --
      -=Bang Bang=-
    4. Re:how do they get away with it? by c0ck_l0rge · · Score: 2, Funny

      As a fellow mammal, I know that getting beaten off would make me go away..

      --
      nothin' sounds quite like an 808
    5. Re:how do they get away with it? by DavidTC · · Score: 1

      Cows are not very well equipped to beat things to pulps.

      --
      If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
    6. Re:how do they get away with it? by robinsonne · · Score: 1

      Maybe /. can get together and buy you a ticket to Pamplona next year then.

    7. Re:how do they get away with it? by MaxwellEdison · · Score: 1

      What, is there a warm up round before the running of the bulls?

      "Hurry hon! We're gonna miss the grazing of the cows!"

      We tried to reach the lambs for comment, however they remained silent.

      --
      -=Bang Bang=-
    8. Re:how do they get away with it? by repapetilto · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yea they wait until the animal is sleeping then bite. Also I don't know if it was in this article or the NY times one posted somewhere here that said the spit also has some sort of painkiller in it.

    9. Re:how do they get away with it? by philspear · · Score: 1

      If a bat tried to feed on me, I'd pound it to a pulp.

      You say that, but there's one in your hair RIGHT NOW!

    10. Re:how do they get away with it? by gardyloo · · Score: 2, Funny

      As a fellow mammal, I know that getting beaten off would make me go away.

      No way. You'd just roll over and fall asleep.

  10. Thank you for your post by DRAGONWEEZEL · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    We appreciate that Sam. Sam Schwitzernipple. Listen, even you Sam, Yes YOU can get the training you need, if you pay CASH. Cold Hard CASH for whatever you want. Anonymous as a drug deal in any major city downtown next to the cop shop. (it's anonymous, trust me)

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  11. Best Quote from TFA: by 56 · · Score: 1

    How vampire bats split off from insect-eating bats: "Once you're pulling insects off of a mammal, it's a very small step to going after the blood." lol

  12. BATS? Yawn. by whitehatlurker · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Bats are old hat - vampire moths are the next wave.

    (Oblig. Wikipedia reference.)

    Granted, a moth costume is more difficult to make for Halloween.

    --
    .. paranoid crackpot leftover from the days of Amiga.
    1. Re:BATS? Yawn. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Moth costume? Is somebody aiming to arch The Monarch?

    2. Re:BATS? Yawn. by FleaPlus · · Score: 1

      Granted, a moth costume is more difficult to make for Halloween.

      You have to admit though, dressing up as Arthur from the Tick would be pretty awesome. Especially Arthur with vampire teeth.

  13. The interesting part... by repapetilto · · Score: 1

    would have been how the bats manage to avoid becoming haemophilic despite constantly secreting and ingesting a plasminogen activator, especially one resistant to inhibition. I mean not all of the protein is going to be be broken down before absorption. I'm not sure what the kinetics of the bat PA are like but Id imagine a low concentration could activate alot of plasminogens since you usually want your blood to clot pretty fast after getting cut.

    1. Re:The interesting part... by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      Perhaps a nice dip in hydrochloric acid makes it somewhat less effective.

  14. There is a nature-nurture argument by unassimilatible · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As a lawyer, I can say that there is dispute on whether law school attracts assholes, or produces them. I'd say it's a combination of both.

    All kidding aside, unlike other grad schools which encourage teamwork, law school pits students against each other in many ways. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for advocates, but it does help explain why lawyers tend to be such dicks.

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    1. Re:There is a nature-nurture argument by way2trivial · · Score: 1

      it is called the 'adversarial process' ya know.....

      --
      every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  15. How to save American Food by blair1q · · Score: 1

    McDonald's should offer anticoagulants as a condiment.

  16. immortality is overrated by TheLink · · Score: 1

    Immortality sucks if something really bad happens to you, and you can't "die your way out".

    And given a long enough life, the odds of something really bad happening to you become quite high.

    Sometimes that's what I think hell is. Imagine if all of us actually have immortal souls.

    And if we do not wish to allow God to change us and make us perfect, then we will spend an eternity being imperfect.

    Which isn't that great if you think about it. Eternity is a very very long time.

    Naturally you won't be allowed into Heaven, since you'd eventually make it crappy for everyone there.

    --
    1. Re:immortality is overrated by Mystra_x64 · · Score: 1

      Someone gets to choose what is perfect for me? I'm perfectly fine being imperfect then.

      Btw, there do exist perfect humans. They are just called dolls.

      --
      Quick way to get 30% Funny 70% Troll: defend Opera browser on /.
    2. Re:immortality is overrated by Darby · · Score: 1

      Naturally you won't be allowed into Heaven, since you'd eventually make it crappy for everyone there.

      The being who invented ebola, torture, and every other disgusting thing you can think of is running the place, so it's hard to imaging how a person could make it any worse.

      Seriously, you loons need to learn to think about your brainwashing honestly for 5 minutes. That would be the day all religion died forever.

    3. Re:immortality is overrated by tabrnaker · · Score: 1
      Learn about religions. It's called free will. Earth is run by humans who invented everything you mentioned, and still allow it to continue. No one actually 'goes' to heaven, at least, not in the bible, that's just church fabrication, and only some churches!

      God has nothing to do with your misconstrued notions of religion.

      IANAC, however, like a true scientific skeptic, i've actually read what the bible contains and don't argue against fairy tales that the church and misguided individuals have created. You have heard of Straw men right?

      I'm sure you've heard the ubiquitous 'Use the source Luke'. Read the source!

      Haha, of course that would take away the fun of unfounded generalizations against religion, and this is slashdot after all!

  17. Ha, you think so?! by phorm · · Score: 1

    There will be plenty to post, unless you think that Obama is going to come true on every single thing people expect. Which, even if he does so on most, it's unlike he won't turn around on at least some key issues.