gaqcastle.blogg.se - How many times do you have to level up platypus evolution

Wilson, Ph.D., director of the The Genome Center at Washington University and the paper’s senior author. “The fascinating mix of features in the platypus genome provides many clues to the function and evolution of all mammalian genomes,” says Richard K.

Males possess hind leg spurs that can deliver pain-inducing venom to its foes competing for a mate or territory during the breeding season. One of only two mammals that lays eggs, the platypus also sports a duck-like bill that holds a sophisticated electrosensory system used to forage for food underwater. The platypus, classified as a mammal because it produces milk and is covered in a coat of fur, also possesses features of reptiles, birds and their common ancestors, along with some curious attributes of its own. An analysis of the genome, published today in the journal Nature, can help scientists piece together a more complete picture of the evolution of all mammals, including humans. Louis, has decoded the genome of the platypus, showing that the animal’s peculiar mix of features is reflected in its DNA. It is as simple as that.The duck-billed platypus: part bird, part reptile, part mammal - and the genome to prove it.Īn international consortium of scientists, led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. If you have variation, differential reproduction, and heredity, you will have evolution by natural selection as an outcome. If this process continues, eventually, all individuals in the population will be brown.

End result:The more advantageous trait, brown coloration, which allows the beetle to have more offspring, becomes more common in the population.

The surviving beetles (more of which are brown) have offspring of the same color because this trait has a genetic basis. In this example, green beetles tend to get eaten by birds and survive to reproduce less often than brown beetles do. Since the environment can’t support unlimited population growth, not all individuals get to reproduce to their full potential. To see how it works, imagine a population of beetles:įor example, some beetles are green and some are brown. Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, along with mutation, migration, and genetic drift.ĭarwin’s grand idea of evolution by natural selection is relatively simple but often misunderstood.

Information on controversies in the public arena relating to evolution.

Alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards.

The big issues – Pacing, diversity, complexity, and trends.

Macroevolution – Evolution above the species level.

Microevolution – Evolution within a population.

Mechanisms: the processes of evolution – Selection, mutation, migration, and more.

The history of life: looking at the patterns – Change over time and shared ancestors.

An introduction to evolution: what is evolution and how does it work?.