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Digital-Bridges t1_iwdy495 wrote

I'm the author of this article. A.M.A. Though I might be too late to the reddit game on this one.

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AcrobaticApricot t1_iwellxq wrote

do you think it’s possible that the bees’ lifespan has been negatively impacted by nutrient loss? if plants literally have fewer nutrients it seems like it could have lots of surprising and unfortunate downstream effects that are difficult to detect.

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Digital-Bridges t1_iweo9bl wrote

Certainly. Access to adequate nutrition is one of the major drivers of colony loss, along with pesticides and parasites/viruses. We address these possibilities in the study but this work is the first to suggest a plausible genetic source, which the media seems to have focused on. While I can't say if the article you linked is affecting bees, if it's true I don't see why not. Bee lifespans are short no matter what and they can only eat so much during that time. Sounds like a great research project for a new grad student!

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sillypicture t1_iwezctl wrote

Are you also a bee doctor/nutritionist? Can you fix them/our planet?

Please?

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Digital-Bridges t1_iwg7nu5 wrote

I do not study nutrition directly. My major focus is epidemiology. I have a background in genetics though and have just accepted a bioinformatics position.

Bee researchers are working very closely with beekeepers, farmers, and ecologists so we can improve food security and support the livelihoods of so many who work in agriculture. Progress is slow but certainly moving!

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headunplugged t1_iwetmy3 wrote

I heard this on NPR, they where reporting a group had to go back 50 years to oldest usable sample of bull seman. Dairy cows where breed for so long to maximize milk output and breeders completely neglected healthier traits like stronger hips and immune systems; this creates an issue producing unhealthy milk cows, I think thorough-bread dogs having issues is also a similar case of this.

My question is does breeding bees involve selecting desirable traits, or there really isn't any control on breeding like that?

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sillypicture t1_iwf0104 wrote

Interesting study. Either they have somehow evolved to live shorter lives (periodic/fortnightly events?) Or there are persistent stressors, which would be interesting to study persistence of, by continuing their breeding cycle in the lab (idk if that's possible or practical).

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start3ch t1_iwffne6 wrote

Is 50 years really long enough to allow insects to evolve noticably?

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sillypicture t1_iwg3y1b wrote

Doesn't it depend more on breeding ftequenct and less on absolute time period?

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Macheeks t1_iweoc45 wrote

Do you think viruses could be playing a role? Like deformed wing virus for example

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stayingstillwhenlost t1_iwffk72 wrote

I’m curious if Apis mellifera has had a loss in healthy gut bacteria like other species? Do we know of any bacterial symbiotic relationships?

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Digital-Bridges t1_iwg8gvu wrote

There are definitely Apis-specific bacteria. Microbiome research is still in its infancy but will be one of the "next big things" in bee research. I don't think we can say that Honey bees have lost good bacteria on any global scale as of yet. Most of the current research suggests that gut populations can change in various situations, like starvation or disease exposure. We have yet to make a solid link to how shifts in the microbiome can affect whole colonies, though.

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voltMoe t1_iweyaiq wrote

Electromagnetic fields And pesticides are the 2 main culprits in my mind. Confirm/ deny?

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