Top 05 Latest Signs Evolution Is Real (Part 2)
Anolis sagrei is a species of lizard that lives in Cuba and the Bahamas. They were also introduced in many parts of the United States, including Georgia, Texas, and Hawaii. In a famous experimental study, a research team led by Jonathan Losos of Harvard University discovered that natural selection occurs over a six-month period when a brown anole population is introduced to a new predator.
The aim of the study was to prove the hypothesis that evolution is not a long-term phenomenon. The scientists studied twelve different islands and introduced the predatory lizard to six, using six other islands as comparison samples. After six months, surveys found that anole populations had declined by 50% on islands with new predatory lizards.
The survivors had longer legs than the species that previously lived on the islands. In the next six months of study, another genetic change was recorded, and the legs of the anole lizard species became shorter and thinner as they spent more time in trees. Females were also noted to grow in size, making it difficult for smaller animals to digest.
4. Darwin's finches
The second voyage of HMS Beagle took place from December 1831 to October 1836, and the mission of the voyage was to conduct hydrographic surveys around the coast of the southern part of South America. Young Charles Darwin was an expert geologist on this voyage. Darwin spent most of his time exploring on land and spent only 18 months at sea. He spent time researching the Galapagos Islands studying a large number of endemic species. Darwin had incredible powers of observation and noticed that there were many different species of finches on the island. One species of bird would have slightly larger wings and curved beaks due to its geographic location on the island.
Darwin recognized and recorded 14 separate combinatorial species of Passerine birds in the area. The different finch nests in the Galapagos Islands are constantly evolving every year. The evolution of these birds can be easily studied and recorded. The average finch that lives in the area has recently shortened its beak to be able to get the small seeds more efficiently after a larger species of finch arrived on the island and competed for food. Many scientists travel to this area because the experimental conditions are pristine and natural changes occur at an alarming rate.
3. Bacterial evolution
Natural selection is most pronounced in life forms with extremely fast life cycles, such as bacteria. Bacteria can multiply and spread to an entire generation in just a few short weeks. Many species of bacteria are beneficial to human and animal health, but others cause infectious diseases. The rapid evolution of disease-causing bacteria is well documented and involves some of the world's most important medical research.
An infected person can be given antibiotic drugs that destroy the deadly bacteria in the human body, but not all of the bacteria are removed. Bacteria already infected with antibiotics will become resistant to the drug in a short time. If these certain bacteria multiply, the disease will evolve to resist the drugs we develop. That's why antibiotics are getting stronger and medical researchers are always trying to develop more effective future drugs. As long as harmful bacteria and diseases exist, evolution will be a formidable opponent to cures and drugs.
2. Land-dwelling ancestors of whales
Sea giants have an extremely interesting origin story. Whales are marine mammals of the order Cetacea and are critically endangered in many parts of the world. All marine animals, including whales, dolphins, and pigs, are evolutionary descendants of land-dwelling animals of the order Artiodactyl, or even ungulates. Today, some cetaceans and artiodactyls are organized under the superorder Cetartiodactyla.
The term Cetartiodactyla is used to describe the classification that whales evolved from within the artiodactyls. The hippopotamus is considered the whale's closest land relative. Scientists and historians estimate that whales entered the world's oceans about 50 million years ago. Humans are beginning to understand the complex behaviors and characteristics of whales.
It is remarkable that such a large species could evolve from land to sea. Cetaceans are the most intelligent creatures in the sea, and this intelligence can be traced back to their modern land-dwelling ancestors. I wonder what geological event could have caused this massive animal population to enter the earth's seas.
1. Evolution of modern man
As an organism evolves, some aspects of anatomy become redundant and sometimes become redundant. This can be affected by adaptation to a new habitat, natural disaster or even disease prevention. When this happens, an organ that was essential to survival at some point in ancient history became less important to the species. This is a sign of evolution and can be clearly seen in the human body.
People get dark shoots when they are cold, scared, angry or afraid of something. Before clothing, goosebumps were an important way for humans to appear larger and more dangerous to predators. Today, goosebumps have shrunk to an almost invisible size. Humans also have an accessory ear muscle, wisdom teeth, appendix, and Jacobson's organ. Jacobson's organ is located in the nose of many animals. It is an olfactory organ that detects pheromones and triggers the sensation of sexual desire, excitement and food. Humans are born with organs, but they shrink and become useless early in development. The plantaris muscle is used by many animals to grasp and manipulate objects with their feet. Humans are born with this muscle, but it is so underdeveloped that doctors often remove it to repair other parts of the body. About 9% of the human population is born without the plantaris muscle.
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