Kurators Verstom!

Goed soos jy kan raai het die onderwerp is nie so skokkend soos my titel aandui, maar ek kon nie help nie, maar om te draai uit die Guardian artikel. Ek het regtig vind dit skreeusnaakse wanneer ek kom oor iets wat sê wetenskaplikes “verbaas”, “stomheid geslaan”, “geskok”, “verbaas”, – Ek dink dit is 'n onderwerp vir 'n ander tyd… Maar 'n regtig cool butterfly has emerged at the “Sensational Butterflies” exhibit at the British Museum in London – 'n bilaterale gynandromorph! The Guardian reports today that this specimen of Papilio memnon just emerged and is beginning to draw small crowds of visitors. I know I’d love to see one of these alive again – although the zoo situation would take away quite a bit of the excitement. I think the only thing more exciting than seeing one of these live in the field would be to net one myself!

One little thing tripped my skeptical sensors and that is the quote at the end of the article taken from the curator of butterflies, Blanca Huertas. “The gynandromorph butterfly is a fascinating scientific phenomenon, and is the product of complex evolutionary processes. It is fantastic to have discovered one hatching on museum grounds, particularly as they are so rare.”

Wel, I don’t specifically see how these are a “product of … evolutionary processes” inasmuch as almal life in almal forms is a product of evolution. These are sterile “glitches” that are cool, but not anything that has been specifically evolved for or against. Perhaps it would be more adept to call this a fascinating process of genetics (which the article actually describes with accuracy). Ook – butterflies emerge as adults and hatch as caterpillars – but that’s just me being picky.