>But the advent of such a relationship is by no means assured as evidenced 
>by the experiment on Santa Cruz Island. It has taken place in populations 
>of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera scutellata.

The ability of bees to survive varroa, in the wild and in apiaries, when 
observed, appears to have both genetic and environmental components. 
Moreover such observations are over limited time spans and made up of 
limited samples.  Ignoring that fact results in questionable conclusions 
about the genetic contribution to apparent success in each case.

That is not to say that such conclusions are not correct, but that they are 
unproven -- or not provable -- until sufficient time has passed and until 
the effects are observed in diverse environments

Although Santa Cruz is a good example of an extinction, it does not -- to 
use a metaphor -- prove that black swans do not exist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory#Non-philosophical_epistemological_approach

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com
---
All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. 
I myself deny it.
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956) 

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