Major evolutionary change in laboratory environment.

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Vendetta
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Major evolutionary change in laboratory environment.

Post by Vendetta »

New Scientist wrote:A major evolutionary innovation has unfurled right in front of researchers' eyes. It's the first time evolution has been caught in the act of making such a rare and complex new trait.

And because the species in question is a bacterium, scientists have been able to replay history to show how this evolutionary novelty grew from the accumulation of unpredictable, chance events.

Twenty years ago, evolutionary biologist Richard Lenski of Michigan State University in East Lansing, US, took a single Escherichia coli bacterium and used its descendants to found 12 laboratory populations.

The 12 have been growing ever since, gradually accumulating mutations and evolving for more than 44,000 generations, while Lenski watches what happens.
Interesting stuff, and yet another stick to beat the denialists with.
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Darth Wong
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Re: Major evolutionary change in laboratory environment.

Post by Darth Wong »

Vendetta wrote:Interesting stuff, and yet another stick to beat the denialists with.
They'll just use the same excuse they used with the nylon-eating bacteria.
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GrandMasterTerwynn
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