Drozzy Norn

Perhaps it is the very cuteness of Norns that has led some people to make them immortal. The aim of the Drozzy Project is to breed the opposite- Norns that breed quickly and then die. From an evolutionary perspective immortality is not that interesting. In one sense immortality was achieved long ago by creatures that reproduce through binary fission - they do not get old. To die they must be eaten. Death is what makes evolution possible and evolution has produced such wondrous creatures as butterflies, chameleons and humans. So, the aim of the Drozzy project is not to produce Norns with longevity - this is nice for individual norns, but bad for evolution. To see evolution in action you need self-sustaining populations.

The Drozzy project was initiated with this in mind and inspired by the humble fruit fly. Evolutionary studies are easier with animals that have short generation spans. This is one reason why fruit flies have been the mainstay of so many genetic and evolutionary studies. Norns already have shorts life spans (around 10 hours) and, as such, provide a useful evolutionary subject. The Drozzy Project seeks to reduce this further. Why "Drozzy"? This was the affectionate name we gave to Drosophila (the fruit fly) as Zoology students.

Available for Creatures 1 and Creatures 2.