Blog #18
Title: The Wild Experiment That Showed Evolution in Real Time
Author: Ed Yong
Date: January 31, 2019
Source: The Atlantic
URL: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/unprecedentedly-thorough-evolution-experiment/581521/?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=82cc3a3e8c-briefing-dy-20190201&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-82cc3a3e8c-42308611&fbclid=IwAR2PENczQSNDRD1jTuxLLDnH1qgMcwMHdqcxLGCJz3dW8CgtlfRiYXphk-I
Rowan Barrett wanted to create an experiment in Nebraska to see natural selection for himself. He got a field from his friend and created sections with dark colored soil and light colored soil and put mice in each one. He took pictures of each mouse and took it's DNA and made sure the experiment was controlled and the mice couldn't leave their enclosures. After time, he found that indeed, the dark colored mice thrived in the dark colored soil and light colored mice thrived in the light colored sand. He then investigated further and found the gene Agouti, which has been linked to fur color, in all the mice. Additionally, he found a mutation called delta-Ser which genetically modifies mice to have lightened fur. After three months, the delta-Ser mutation was common only in the light enclosures, not the dark ones. Barrett was able to show that one mutation could become more common if it makes the organism better suited to the environment, essentially proving evolution
Author: Ed Yong
Date: January 31, 2019
Source: The Atlantic
URL: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/unprecedentedly-thorough-evolution-experiment/581521/?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=82cc3a3e8c-briefing-dy-20190201&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-82cc3a3e8c-42308611&fbclid=IwAR2PENczQSNDRD1jTuxLLDnH1qgMcwMHdqcxLGCJz3dW8CgtlfRiYXphk-I
Rowan Barrett wanted to create an experiment in Nebraska to see natural selection for himself. He got a field from his friend and created sections with dark colored soil and light colored soil and put mice in each one. He took pictures of each mouse and took it's DNA and made sure the experiment was controlled and the mice couldn't leave their enclosures. After time, he found that indeed, the dark colored mice thrived in the dark colored soil and light colored mice thrived in the light colored sand. He then investigated further and found the gene Agouti, which has been linked to fur color, in all the mice. Additionally, he found a mutation called delta-Ser which genetically modifies mice to have lightened fur. After three months, the delta-Ser mutation was common only in the light enclosures, not the dark ones. Barrett was able to show that one mutation could become more common if it makes the organism better suited to the environment, essentially proving evolution
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