Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Scientists force evolution in the lab

Scientists have forced a little evolution in the laboratory, controlling whether a caterpillar becomes green or black.

The color of the critter was made to vary with temperature during their development. The experiment reveals the basic hormonal mechanism underlying the evolution of such dual traits, the researchers report in Monday's issue of the journal Science.

The study was done on Manduca sexta, a caterpillar commonly called the tobacco hornworm. Its larvae are normally green. A related species, Manduca quinquemaculata, becomes black or green depending on temperature. The idea was to use similar temperature shocks to evolve a similar change in M. sexta.

Source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11147751

And this is real science, it is called biology, it was perofrmed at Duke University, so please moderators ... try not to insult it and us by moving it to origins where irrationality is the order of the day.

Thank you.

Nice find, Dan, thanks for posting it.

If the black mutants are left for a few generations in conditions of less than 28c, will their off-spring turn back to green again?

Evolution is only a theory. The Bible is the direct word of God. All other religions and their documentation are false. This is true for all religions' POV.

Until somebody sorts out the contradiction of disagreeing inerrant universal truths, Uncle Al votes for evolution,

Google
"industrial melanism" 17,600 hits

God's little joke.

I'm not too impressed by your "this is real science" explanation. Sex determination using
heat and light has been going on for millions of years. But it is evolution working in real time.

The Biologists at Duke University, just copied what the Crocodiles, Alligators, some Lizards,
and possibly shrimp do. That is - determine their offsprings sex using heat, not Genes.
All these types of animals seem to know which sex is most required, and bury their eggs to the depth of heat required.
There are dozens of 'animals' that do not use Genes to determine sex. They all seem to be long lived. Protozoa and other types that divide or part to produce, like Ameoba.....you might say live virtually forever

"Y" has asked the pertinent question--do the critters stay the same color in subsequent generations under normal conditions. The Aligator/Crocodile sex determination experiment is not evolution since it only affects one generation.

Hmmm...its a while since I used a dictionary.
Evolution (Bio.)=Changes in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations. The gradual development of more complex organisms from simpler ones.

I don't want too appear too pedantic, but taking the first sentence only, I would add it to.

Changes in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, that ensure the VIABILITY of that population.
i.e Not much point in changing a caterpillar to black from its natural background of green making it more detectable, to be eaten by birds.

Commendable experiment UPON evolution maybe, but I dont call that good evolution. Good evolution takes time to ascertain its benefits.

Assume more of the black critters are born, and it is a trait that is passed down to future generations. If a researcher keeps the black critters alive for future experiments, then the black color ensures the viability of the species within that environment.

While on one hand you could say that researchers have bred white lab mice for certain characteristics, on the other you can say that the mice have evolved traits that ensure their viability in the lab/research environment. The fact that they wouldn't do well in nature is a different topic.