Comprehensive study: Evolution is happening 4 times faster than we thought
New research suggests that Darwinian evolution could occur up to 4 times faster than previously thought, based on analysis of genetic variance. The more genetic variations there are in a species, the faster evolution can occur, with some traits disappearing and more powerful and adaptive surrogates appearing.
The research team responsible for this latest study refers to the so-called "fuel for evolution," based on data shown in 19 different groups of land animals around the world. Analysis of the data revealed that the raw materials responsible for the evolution have become more abundant than previously estimated. As a result, we may have to adjust our expectations of how quickly animals will evolve, a closely related question of climate change today.
According to evolutionary ecologist Timothy Bonet of the Australian National University, "Measuring the potential speed of current evolution has become related to the response to natural selection across traits specific to each population. Today's ability to see so many potential changes came as a surprise to the team."
Among the wild animals studied were roosting birds (Malurus cyaneus) in Australia, spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Tanzania, sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in Canada, and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Scotland. It is the first time that the speed of development has been evaluated on such a large scale
Previously, the average length of each impressive field study was up to 30 years, with details of births, deaths and increments recorded. The shortest search took about 11 years, while the longest was 63 years, so the researchers were able to collect a large number of field data, approximately 2.6 million hours, looking for genetic information on each animal.
In this new study, it took three years, during which time the team was able to measure how much species change occurred due to genetics and natural selection. Although Charles Darwin originally believed that the process of evolution would be very slow, previous research has already shown that in some species, evolution can occur in just a few years.
One of the most common examples of rapid development is the spotted moth, which was mostly white before the industrial revolution in the UK. With the appearance of black soot pollution on trees and buildings, black moths had a survival advantage by being difficult to notice by birds. Since the color of the moth determined the likelihood of survival due to genetic differences, the black moth soon became dominant in the population in England.
Due to the lack of a baseline of work, this study remains the first of its kind, as the researchers stress that there is not enough evidence yet to prove that species may be evolving faster than in the past. But there is clearly more "evolution fuel" than we thought.
There are some concerns associated with the continued acceleration of changes in the global climate, as not all species may be able to adapt in time. Therefore, more comprehensive and longer-term studies will be necessary to find out exactly how fast evolution is occurring.
Source
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