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from the blow-back-from-black-blow-fly-flyby-buys-guy's-died-time dept.
Researchers at the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis have sequenced the genome of the black blow fly, an insect commonly found throughout the United States, southern Canada and parts of northern Europe.
Black blow flies have environmental, medical and forensic uses, functioning as nature's recyclers, as wound cleansers and as forensic timekeepers. They have a blue or green sheen and are similar in size to common houseflies.
The female genome was found to contain 8,312 genes; the male genome had 9,490 genes.
"There is nothing special about black blow flies (scientific name Phormia regina), but that lack of uniqueness is why scientists are interested in studying them," said Christine Picard, assistant professor of biology and forensic scientist, who led the team that sequenced the genome.
...
Black blow flies feed on decaying flesh and help consume dead vertebrates throughout the environment. Black blow fly larvae, or maggots, are used medically to debride human wounds, as the insects physically remove dead tissue while simultaneously excreting antimicrobial compounds into the wound. With an excellent sense for smelling recently dead tissue, black blow flies are usually the first insects to colonize a human body, frequently within minutes after death. Females lay eggs on recently deceased corpses, setting a "clock" that enables forensic investigators to estimate the postmortem interval, or minimum time since death.
+1 Interesting, But Gross?
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 13 2016, @08:27PM
Further the holy cause of American torture!
The intended victim was stripped naked and then firmly fastened within the interior space of two narrow rowing boats (or hollowed-out tree trunks) joined together one on top of the other with the head, hands and feet protruding. The condemned was forced to ingest milk and honey, and more honey would be poured on him to attract insects, with special attention devoted to the eyes, ears, mouth, face, genitals, and anus. In some cases, the executioner would mix milk and honey and pour that mixture all over the victim. He would then be left to float on a stagnant pond or be exposed to the sun. The defenseless individual's feces accumulated within the container, attracting more insects which would eat and breed within the victim's exposed flesh, which—pursuant to interruption of the blood supply by burrowing insects—became increasingly gangrenous. The individual would lie naked, covered from head to toe in milk, honey, and his own feces. The feeding would be repeated each day in some cases to prolong the torture, so that fatal dehydration or starvation did not occur. Death, when it eventually occurred, was probably due to a combination of dehydration, starvation, and septic shock. Delirium would typically set in after a few days.
(Score: 2) by FunkyLich on Sunday November 13 2016, @09:03PM
Elementary, Watson.
It was teatime, and probably chocolate was in short supply.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 13 2016, @09:03PM
Tell me more...