Jellyfish are going to kill us all

August 29, 2016 10:02 AM

A Tiny Jellyfish Relative Just Shut Down Yellowstone River

By the superlative Ed Yong (half a dozen previouslies)

Previously on jellyfish

posted by quaking fajita (23 comments total)

That's horrifying, fascinating, astonishing, and worrisome all at one time.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:27 AM on August 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

We only THINK that there are no myxozoans that attack humans and cause erratic and dangerous behavior. There are reasons to believe that they are responsible for New Country music, texting while driving, and everything Adam Sandler has done post-Wedding Singer.
posted by delfin at 10:33 AM on August 29, 2016 [13 favorites]

More on the shutdown (Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks press release). Treatment plan seems to be stopping the spread with hygiene and hoping it resolves itself with cooler temperatures in the fall.
posted by Mitheral at 10:34 AM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Wow! I can't be the only one who was feeling a bit re-assured upon reaching the bit where they said none of these parasite on humans...
posted by meinvt at 10:37 AM on August 29, 2016

and everything Adam Sandler has done post-Wedding Singer

I see that they've infected you. You somehow think that Adam Sandler pre Wedding Singer is somehow forgiveable.
posted by Fizz at 11:07 AM on August 29, 2016 [7 favorites]

I, for one, am sick and tired of the flagrant overuse of the Tetracapsuloidesbryosalmonae tag.
posted by Chrysostom at 11:09 AM on August 29, 2016 [23 favorites]

Maybe I missed it, but what started this new bloom of myxozoans on the Yellowstone?
posted by artdrectr at 11:12 AM on August 29, 2016

myxozoans on the Yellowstone

Sounds like the title of a cowboy song.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:19 AM on August 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

I believe that the outbreak is related to warm water temperatures and reduced flow.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 11:21 AM on August 29, 2016

Whoopie-ti-yi-yo,
Git along little myxozoans ...
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:22 AM on August 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

what if we deploy tiny octobots to devour them
posted by poffin boffin at 11:23 AM on August 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

I, for one, am sick and tired of the flagrant overuse of the Tetracapsuloidesbryosalmonae tag.

Hey, at some point someone is going to be looking for all the metafilter posts on a very specific type of myxozoan parasite of salmonid fishes, and I am going to be their hero.
posted by quaking fajita at 11:26 AM on August 29, 2016 [20 favorites]

I'm calling it now: Myxozoans are going to be the next Cordyceps when it comes to trying to refresh the zombie genre.
posted by ejs at 12:01 PM on August 29, 2016

I'd like to know more about the process of drastic genetic change--it sounds an interesting story since we couldn't observe the process, only infer it from genetic comparisons. Like, what was the ordering of genetic changes, as caused by environmental pressures, etc.
posted by polymodus at 12:08 PM on August 29, 2016

Well, I guess if you can pare down to just six cells, you don't really need your Hox genes anymore. But damn.
posted by maryr at 12:11 PM on August 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

Jellyfish are going to kill us all

well i for one am staying on dry land so the bees have a fighting chance
posted by beerperson at 12:13 PM on August 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

Jellostone
posted by sylvanshine at 12:19 PM on August 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

myxozoans

We need Superman to turn up and say the name backwards.
posted by chavenet at 2:56 PM on August 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

I was in Yellowstone last week - we were expecting it to be packed, especially with the NPS centennial free entry, but in general it was very quiet. I wonder how much the river closure had to do with that?
posted by the agents of KAOS at 7:45 PM on August 29, 2016

Previously: The Jellyfish That Conquered The Earth.

well i for one am staying on dry land . . .

Unfortunately, that won't help.

Myxozoans Exploiting Homeotherms

True myxosporean infections—those with active parasite development and sporogenesis — have been recorded in central European shrews . . . Incidental myxosporean infections—the presence of myxospores without parasite development — have been observed in humans, usually in association with the ingestion of infected fish.

Myxozoan Evolution, Ecology and Development
edited by Beth Okamura, Alexander Gruhl, Jerri L. Bartholomew

p 127, Table 7: Terrestrial Mammal Hosts of Myxozoans:
Shrew, common
Shrew, pygmy
Shrew, lesser white-toothed
Shrew, killer

 
posted by Herodios at 8:08 PM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah but Cnidarians in general don't have HOX genes.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 4:56 AM on August 31, 2016

I thought they did, though?
posted by quaking fajita at 9:59 AM on August 31, 2016

That was a super interesting article. Thank you!
posted by katrielalex at 3:10 PM on August 31, 2016