Re: A true touch of insanity?

On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:55:45 GMT, bealoid <signup@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:

>Some plant viruses are sucessful because they mutate the plants in ways 
>which humans find nice, which we then encourage.
>
>Perhaps some virus could increase the attractiveness of fruit to eaters, 
>thus causing the seed + infection to be spread?

That seems reasonably possible to me.

There's a fungus which grows on corn that some people consider a
delicacy. I don't remember its name, but it is far more prevalent in
areas where it's eaten, even without conscious human encouragement
(perhaps because of the extra handling it receives?). 

I don't know why a virus couldn't do the same.
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