Melipona Bee & the vanilla orchid

[Tim Aure]

Fascinating duo with a symbiotic relationship 🤔😊
https://youtu.be/7DV7TS3XB94


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[Ken Cameron]

As the world's leading authority on the biology of Vanilla and related orchids, I feel compelled to address some of the misleading and erroneous information presented in this anti-evolution, pro-creationist video. Orchid flowers are notorious for the way in which they use deception (showy flowers with no reward of pollen or nectar) to lure foraging animal pollinators. From the bee's point of view this in not a symbiotic 'intelligent design' in which the bee is the only insect that "knows" how to pollinate the flower. In fact, the bee exits the flower with nothing to show for its effort, but accidentally transfers pollen from anther to stigma on the way out. It is certainly not flying around pollinating Vanilla flowers to produce fruits for our enjoyment! Charles Darwin wrote an entire book on the subject immediately after 'Origin of Species' in response to critics who said he failed to provide adequate examples in support of his theory of evolution by natural selection. It's still a great read!
Finally, there is a bit of racism reflected here ... today most scholars credit an African slave boy on the island of Reunion (Edmond Albius) with figuring out how to hand pollinate Vanilla flowers outside of Mexico, not the Belgian botanist Charles Morren, who, incidentally, got it wrong . . . Melipona bees are too small to effect pollination in wild Vanilla. It is a species of large euglossine bee that seems to be the actual pollinator of this particular species - one of >100 species in the genus Vanilla.
If you'd like to learn more, buy my book, 'Vanilla Orchids: Natural History & Cultivation' published by Timber Press!

[Tim Aure]

You sound so proud and all knowing for being the equivalent of a grain of sand in a universe of eons of time. In a matter of seconds you'll be like Darwin in your 'billions of years.' A pile of dust and a fading memory.
Only he's buried in a church!

You come off as an argumentative hater.
I know because I once was one also. Keep on with your purposeless, meaningless 'dash between the dates' 😣😞 And that orchid, bee and pollination process is sure beautiful for being just an accident from primoral ooze.

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[Scott Johnson]

"You come off as an argumentative hater." Doctor, heal thyself.
If someone devotes his or her life to understanding a specific topic, and then that topic is misrepresented, wouldn't you want to know the facts as they stand?

I've been impressed with the friendly nature of this group: a community of beekeepers giving advice without ad hominem distractions. It made me bummed to read the negativity this morning. Disagree over the substance, sure, but it is the internet and tone is tough to convey, so give people the benefit of the doubt and you'll live longer... you know, extend that "dash between the dates."

See you kind folks tonight.

[Tim Aure]

I apologize but you brought in a whole other topic when you attacked my 'worldview'

Let's keep the subject on bees.🐝

I also have spent over 40 years researching that other topic. 😐

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[Scott Johnson]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but the original post WAS on bees and their relationship with orchids. This was followed by your non-bee post. If you have 40 years of expertise on intelligent design, you might have presented bee-related evidence instead of insults. If you'd like us to stick on topic, please lead by example.

=
Sent by clacks.
Excuse brevity.
Scott
=

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[Tim Aure]

So what does Darwin have to do with our group?

There are two opposing world views and a lot of rabbit trails & strong opinions in that discussion. I've been in both sides of that argument. All I'm saying is keep the topic on bees and we'll both be fine.

With that I'll hold my piece👍

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