Evolution at work

[Odin]

Originally posted by trev
No big deal, one minor gene change, just a minor evolving to deal with a parasite, Influenza viruses, bacteria, HIV are doing this all the time and many other life forms in their battle against antibodies or antibiotics etc. It is an huge exaggeration to say that this is evolution at its quickest, just normal natural selection in a species.

But all that natural selection builds up over time, resulting in big changes.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison


Well there is no sign that evolution has ever happened where I work

Maybe meetings have become a lifeform capable of calling themselves and thus reproducing via human hosts. [/Dilbert]

[Provost Harrison]

I've just mentioned meetings in another thread. It is true. Although I would say it is a symbiosis myself. Many humans use them as an excuse to do f**k all for an hour or two

[SlowwHand]

Evolution at work is BeBro took over his job from a chimp.

[Provost Harrison]

I've already done that line of joke, and to be frank, I did it far better

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Yeah, alright, you got me there. God it is

Clearly the butterflies prayed to God to help them.

[Dauphin]

The bemoaning of IDers and God Squaddies in this thread is sad. Sad indeed. And a waste. Such a waste.

[Provost Harrison]

I'll have you know there has been no bemoaning...I have stuck strictly to sarcasm

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Dauphin
The bemoaning of IDers and God Squaddies in this thread is sad. Sad indeed. And a waste. Such a waste.

Where?

[Dauphin]

Via sarcasm.

[Berzerker]

The team first documented the massive imbalance in the sex ratio of the blue moon butterfly (Hypolimnas bolina) on the Samoan islands of Savaii and Upolu in 2001.

In 2006, they started a new survey after an increase in reports of male sightings at Upolo.

They found that the numbers of male butterflies had either reached or were approaching those of females.

How do they even know a gene is involved, or a parasite? The male population may undergo cyclical bottlenecks for several reasons, including the changing size of the parasite population.

[Colon™]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I think you'll find divergence of species takes a little longer

Apparently not, I once read about this case that involved a fish population in some river that got split for some reason (I realise that bit isn't too informative, but my memory is hazy ATM) and within several generations the groups were unable to interbreed. Inability to breed with another species is a core definition of species AFAIK.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Berzerker


How do they even know a gene is involved, or a parasite? The male population may undergo cyclical bottlenecks for several reasons, including the changing size of the parasite population.

Perhaps they've done, erm, research? The article clearly stated the mechanism, which indicates to me that they actually know the mechanism...

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Colon™


Apparently not, I once read about this case that involved a fish population in some river that got split for some reason (I realise that bit isn't too informative, but my memory is hazy ATM) and within several generations the groups were unable to interbreed. Inability to breed with another species is a core definition of species AFAIK.

It is, although that might not be meaningful speciation (the species might not be meaningfully different, just a small mutation is necessary). But it certainly can occur in small batches...