An Insect on the Evolutionary Fast Track

NYT ^ | 4/7/2011 | NICHOLAS BAKALAR

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Works for me! The more insecticides I can sell, the better off my wallet and the world are, LOL! :)

Beware!

“Just when you thought you won the rat race, they invent faster rats.” ~ George Carlin

[AdmSmith]

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio303/coevolution.htm

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Speciation occurs when populations or sub-populations are isolated (genetically) from their sisters and brothers over a long period of time.

So if we move some people from Indiana over to a remote region of the Mojave desert, they will "speciate" into monkeys?

[Pharmboy]

So if we move some people from Indiana over to a remote region of the Mojave desert, they will "speciate" into monkeys?

No...cauliflowers./sarc

The first step toward speciation is formation of sub-species or races. Humans do not all look alike because over tens of thousands of years different populations--when isolated from each other--begin to accumulate genetic changes that do not happen in other populations. Koreans do not look like Somalians because their ancestors have been separated for tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of years.

If the isolation continues for millions of years, new species could develop...that is the theory that is supported by many facts. But: can we watch a new species be created? No...we don't live that long.

I hope this was helpful.

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Koreans do not look like Somalians because their ancestors have been separated for tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of years... If the isolation continues for millions of years, new species could develop

So, in your view, Koreans and Somalians are slowly turning into different species. What is the evidence for this odd assertion?

[Pharmboy]

First, I merely used Somalians and Koreans as examples of people who do not look alike; let's change it to Norwegians and Bangladeshis, for arguments' sake.

Secondly, I did NOT say that Koreans and Somalians were becoming separate species; what I said is that races (or as non-human races are defined, sub-species) if separated from each other for a long, long time--millions of years--can change enough genetically from each other to become separate species. So, Norwegians and Bangladeshis, if kept separate for millions of years, could wind up after that time as different enough from each other to constitute different species.

Please click here for a better and more complete explanation of speciation along with concrete examples.

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

I did NOT say that Koreans and Somalians were becoming separate species

It seems like a stupid thing to say, doesn't it? But alas, you did say it in post 14.

So, Norwegians and Bangladeshis, if kept separate for millions of years, could wind up after that time as different enough from each other to constitute different species.

In post 14 you said "Speciation occurs when populations or sub-populations are isolated (genetically) from their sisters and brothers over a long period of time." There's no "could" there. You did not say 'species could be formed when... ' Previously, in post 14, you said you knew how species were formed. Now you say you don't know.

So, my question is, why do you think Bangladeshis and Norwegians are becoming seperate species? Do you have a particle of evidence to support that strange assertion?

[Pharmboy]

To repeat, I never said that any race of humans was becoming another species; what I said--and evidence from genetics, fossils and current species supports--was that if and when sub-species (or races as we call them for humans) are kept isolated over long, LONG periods of time (millions of years), that this situation is the set-up for speciation. We are not close to that now, but theoretically, if Norwegians and Somalians were separate for the next 5 million years, yes, they COULD wind up as separate species since all the evidence we have now points to this as a method of speciation.

I hope this helps.