Experts found that Darwinian evolution possibly occurred four times than initial estimates in a new study. The theory was analyzed through information collected from the genetic variation of different species.
Measuring How Fast Species Evolve
Many distinct features could be extracted in each of the named species we have on the planet. According to the research, the more differences are present in a single species, the faster their evolution could transpire.
The authors imply that the speed of evolution relies on eliminating weaker traits and establishing newer, stronger ones. The team behind the research calls this theory the 'fuel of evolution.' The investigation was made possible through the help of data from 19 distinct wild animal groups residing in various parts of Earth.
The meta-analysis shows that the so-called 'raw material' for evolution is somewhat more abundant than we first thought. With this unusual speed, studies might adjust their expectations regarding the track of evolution in many animals. Among the factors that affect how fast species evolve is climate change.
Australian National University's Research School of Biology specialist and author of the study Timothee Bonnet explained in the University of Exeter's press release that the approach helps scientists measure the estimated current speed of a species' evolution with respect to the natural selection of all traits in a specified population.
The fuel of evolution is a theory that was not utilized transparently with previous methods, but the information about the potential change collected from this approach is surprising, Bonnet continued.
Some of the wild species involved in the analysis were Tanzania's spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), Scotland's red deer (Cervus elaphus), Australia's fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus), and Canada's song sparrows (Melospiza melodia).
Darwinian Evolution Faster Than Previous Estimates
The study is the first to conduct a wide-scale assessment of such a number of distinct species.
Each field study on the animals reached an average of 30 years. The experts gathered detailed records of the selected species' birth, mating, and offspring within this timeframe. The shortest analysis ran for about 11 years, while the longest was for 63 years. In total, the authors got ahold of 2.6 million hours of field data.
The actual study ran for three consecutive years. But in this short amount of time, the researchers were able to quantify the changes in each species involved which were induced by natural selection and genetics.
Charles Darwin first proposed that evolution could take longer years due to its slow process. The new study revealed that many transitions are indeed fast and run for only a few years, Science Alert reports.
The authors emphasized that further studies are needed to know if the current evolutionary process is much faster than what occurred in the past. However, the factors building the fuel of evolution are more than we thought, and future studies on the speed of evolution could anchor to this large-scale analysis.
The study was published in the journal Science, titled "Genetic variance in fitness indicates rapid contemporary adaptive evolution in wild animals."
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