Snails on a tiny rocky islet evolved before scientists' eyes. The marine snails were reintroduced after a toxic algal bloom wiped them out from the skerry. While the researchers intentionally brought in a distinct population of the same snail species, these evolved to strikingly resemble the population lost over 30 years prior.
Snails on a tiny rocky islet evolved before scientists' eyes. The marine snails were reintroduced after a toxic algal bloom wiped them out from the skerry. While the researchers intentionally brought in a distinct population of the same snail species, these evolved to strikingly resemble the population lost over 30 years prior.
Before, the islands and their small intertidal skerries -- rocky islets -- were home to dense and diverse populations of marine snails of the species. While the snail populations of the larger islands -- some of which were reduced to less than 1% -- were restored within two to four years, several skerries could not seem to recover from this harsh blow.snails to their lost skerry habitat -- starting an experiment that would have far-reaching implications more than 30 years later.
In the first few generations, the researchers witnessed an interesting phenomenon called"phenotypic plasticity": Very soon after their transplantation, the snails modified their shape to adjust to their new environment. But the population also quickly started to change genetically. The researchers could predict the extent and direction of the genetic changes, especially for the chromosomal inversions.
Diego Garcia Castillo, Nick Barton, Rui Faria, Jenny Larsson, Sean Stankowski, Roger Butlin, Kerstin Johannesson, Anja M. Westram.A newly-discovered, bright yellow snail has been discovered in the Florida Keys and named in honor of Jimmy Buffet's song 'Margaritaville.' The lemon-colored marine snail, along with ...
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Evolution in real time: Scientists predict—and witness—evolution in a 30-year marine snail experimentSnails on a tiny rocky islet evolved before scientists' eyes. The marine snails were reintroduced after a toxic algal bloom wiped them out from the skerry. While the researchers intentionally brought in a distinct population of the same snail species, these evolved to strikingly resemble the population lost over 30 years prior.
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