Case Study 2: The Bees [1978]

A scientist with a very bad haircut is performing genetic experiments [specifically, cross-breeding the common honey bee (apis mellifera) with a species identified only as 'killer African bees.'] His laboratory/apiary is located in an undisclosed South American country. A Latino man and his young son break into the apiary to steal honeycombs. They blow tobacco smoke into the hives to sedate the bees, but something goes awry, and the man and boy are attacked by the bees. They make a lot of noise running around the grounds, swatting at the bees and knocking things over. This awakens the scientist, Doctor Miller, and his scantily clad (presumed) wife, as well as some of the (presumed) graduate students and assistants:

". . . . sounds like bees . . . . "

". . . . it's night . . . they shouldn't be active . . . ."

". . . . something's wrong . . . . "

Everyone remarks that the apiary that was broken into was that of the 'killer African" species, and not that of the harmless, familiar, honey bees. The boy dies. A short while later the local villagers return to the scientist's laboratory in an outrage. They have torches. The scientist speaks to them in a very condescending manner. The man shows his dead son, and then someone throws a rock at the scientist's head, knocking him down, as the crowd rushes past to burn the bees. The bees are annoyed by this, and attack everyone, killing the townspeople, and the scientist, who, having recovered from the blow on the head, took shelter with his wife, but then ran back out to get his notebook. The wife survives by staying in the bunker until help arrives. At this point the bees begin their migration to North America. Mrs. Miller also carries bees from place to place in her purse. The bees finally deliver an ultimatum to the United Nations (through Mrs. Miller and another scientist), but the delegates scoff and are in turn attacked.

[Much of the cinematic record here is chaotic and inchoate; it is possible that certain key shots and/or narrative segments are missing]

A Note on Endosomatic and Exosomatic Mutation

In both case studies above the genetic mutation of bees, as indicated in the embedded theory of aberration is trivial: they have been commonly interbred with a closely related species-on a genetic or endosomatic level, there is little significant change. However, on the exosomatic or behavioral level, in terms of communication, and intelligence, the effect is profound. While it is true that all exosomatic sensory 'organs' (systems of communication) are profoundly linked to endosomatic evolutionary bodies. We will delimit endosomatic evolution to refer to those gradual or rapid changes in the outward form of a species which have to do with physical, bodily (somatic) transformation. For our purposes the exosomatic register includes not only such things as use of tools, but also language, intelligence, and various other social interactive behaviors as well. Exosomatic 'regions' usually undergo a slow, systematic change traditionally referred to as 'evolutionary.' In the case of rapidly induced endosomatic aberrations in growth and form which produce a complementary deviation in behavior (e.g., the rapid acquisition of communication skills, collective co-operation, materials-manipulation, cognition, or tactical reasoning), the term exosomatic will be used.

Ordinary organic evolution is mediated through a genetic mechanism but exosomatic evolution is made possible by the transfer [of information and behaviors] from one generation to the next through non-genetic channels. . . .
     -P.B Medawar & J.S. Medawar, The Life Science4

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