• NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I’ve wondered how far out we are from microorganisms and insects adapting to remove one of the biggest utilities of plastics, their durability. Crazy to think it’s taking less than a century for these organisms to begin to adapt.

    • shalafi@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Might have been even faster if world insect populations weren’t crashing.

      • sorghum@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        You could also draw a conclusion that plastic eating insects are evolving faster because of less competition and abundant plastic. It’s amazing how life can be both fragile and resilient at the same time

        • PhilipTheBucket@ponder.catOP
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          1 month ago

          Life is incredibly resilient. It’s been through way worse than us and it’s done fine.

          The right conditions for any single species to keep existing in a safe and comfortable place, like the friendly green-blue paradise we were born on, are heartbreakingly fragile.

    • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
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      1 month ago

      I expected to see microbes here first. Insects have a slower reproduction cycle, so evolution should take longer.

      • LwL@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Well, it’s the gut bacteria of those insects doing the breaking down, so it is still microbes. Just microbes hosted by worms.