The idea of conserving parasites might sound crazy, but actually they are very important for many ecological processes, and it could also be argued they are unique and beautiful organisms in their own way. To find out more check out these articles:  https://theconversation.com/parasites-are-ecological-dark-matter-and-they-need-protecting-250843 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14431

‘Colpocephalum’ referenced in the song is Colpocephalum californici, a now extinct species of louse that was unique to the Californian condor. During the captive breeding programme that was critical to the successful conservation of the condors, all the birds were deloused without any steps to protect the lice. Since the lice didn’t have significant health impacts on the bird hosts, conservationists now question whether this step was necessary, and suggest it was an avoidable species extinction.

Ecologists and conservationists are increasingly recognising the importance of including parasites in conservation strategy because of the role they play in sustaining ecological and evolutionary processes!

This is amazing. Thanks for sharing your brilliance! More please 🥸

by Jeni and Lotti Sidwell

lyrics:

i never knew you when you were here
but the photos and stories make it pretty clear
a wonderful creature who lived down under
this cultural icon, a striped wonder

now you’ve been gone these ninety years
oh our wounded hearts and flowing tears!
but regret can’t quite fill the hole
left from our favorite marsupial

thylacine oh thylacine
you’re the most beautiful thing i’ve never seen
you once thrived but now you’re gone
and there’s nothing to do but sing this song

tragically killed as you had been
how cruelly the world continued to spin
the home you left now rearranged
maybe for the worse or maybe just changed

dies irae dies illa
solvet saeclum in favilla
lacrimosa dies illa
qua resurget ex favilla

thylacine oh thylacine
you’re the most beautiful thing i’ve never seen
we know it’s unfair and sad and twisted
that nothing but us remember you existed

i’m sorry that we were too late
to save you from your terrible fate
we’ll cry and scream and gnash our jaws
mostly wishing we weren’t the cause

they're trying to raise you from your grave
as though you're not too dead to save
so many more are fading away
but if we pull this off then that's okay

and thylacine oh thylacine
we still haven’t learned a thing
looking behind and not ahead
only caring after things are dead

thylacine my thylacine
you’re the most beautiful thing i’ve never seen
but earth’s changed too much i fear
so i’ll just be glad that you were here

i’ll just be glad that you were here <3

Special thanks to Owen Sidwell and Boyd Edwards

Thylacine Requiem

(The ballad of Colpocephalum)

Lyrics (Simon Goodman):

As the last of the condors flew over California
Brought to the brink by the hand of man,
We came to our senses and moved to save them,
Established a captive breeding program.

The birds were deloused, we didn’t think twice,
But that was the end of unique condor lice

Oh, Colpocephalum,
Why did you have to go?
You never hurt no one
The condors miss you you know.

Why should we value the louse so little?
It has a million evolution stories to tell.
Keeping ecosystems healthy, boosting your immunity,
It’s not like parasites all go to hell.

Don’t be lousy to lice—they’re very nice!
They help maintain biodiversity!

Oh, Colpocephalum,
Why did you have to go?
You never hurt no one
The condors miss you you know.

Oh, Colpocephalum,
You were so special
Come back, you never hurt no one,
The condors miss you you know.

Just think of the tick in a tortoise’s shell,
The little flea on a cheetah’s tail,
The mites that live on your loved one’s eyelashes,
The beautiful tapeworm inside a whale.

Equal rights for parasites, 
Let’s do our best to keep them around.
Without them ecosystems would collapse,
You may not know make the world go round.

So, learn to love the helminth in your cloaca,
It wants to be friends and would never forsake ya!

Don't be Lousy to Lice

Another Life

my music junk drawer for tracks about science, my friends, and whatever I want
harpist producer etc, folky jazzy funky lo fi etc
just havin a nice time

Don't be Lousy to Lice

JeniSage Sidwell

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JeniSage Sidwell

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