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.

Comments

Re:Let's do some REAL science.

[camperdave]

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

Re:how do they get away with it?

[repapetilto]

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.