Macroevolution Observed in African Lake

Kernel Sanders · 10-07-08, 12:30 PM

Source [ EcoWorld | Scientists Discover Fish in Act of Evolution in Africa’s Greatest Lake]

Quote:

In what could be a first in the world, a fish species known as cichlids has been observed by scientists in the act of splitting into two distinct species in Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake and one of the world’s biggest fresh water bodies.

This may be remarkable because what is causing them to diverge are adaptations to their vision as animals and plants try to cope with increased pollution and the effects of climate change. The change is also happening without geographical isolation, which was thought to be a precursor for evolution.

The Pundamilia nyererei is a haplochromine type cichlid native to areas in the Mwanza Gulf region of Lake Victoria. This region consists of many islands where each island region has its own color variant of the fish.

In a report published in the journal Nature, researchers from Tokyo’s Institute of Technology and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology have observed the cichlid evolve into a new species better adapted in sighting its prey and predator.

But the scientists have also tabled evidence indicating that it is not pollution and over-fishing alone that are responsible for the disappearance of some fish species in Lake Victoria and the evolving of others like the cichlid into new species.

The report summarizes that new species may be born because of vision differences and what fish see at least in one African lake could be the driving force that causes them to evolve into new species.

This may explain the very rapid loss of pundamilia in Lake Victoria over the past 30 years. The study says the eye adaptations have also affected mating patterns.

Researchers looked at two species, conspicuous by their red or blue colours. They determined through lab experiments that certain genetic mutations helped some fish adapt their vision at deeper levels to see the colour red and others in shallower water to recognise shades of blue.

The researchers showed that the eyes have adapted to this difference so that fish that live in deeper water have a pigment in their eyes that is more sensitive to red light, while shallow-water fish were sensitive to blue.

Evolutionary science typically holds that new species are born when populations become isolated from one another, forcing them to adapt differently.

Smoke[MaxX] · 10-07-08, 01:35 PM

Creationists/Fundamentalists will argue that this is microevolution. Not like it matters anyway, microevolution and macroevolution are basically the same. They're both EVOLUTION.

Kernel Sanders · 10-07-08, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoke[MaxX]

Creationists/Fundamentalists will argue that this is microevolution. Not like it matters anyway, microevolution and macroevolution are basically the same. They're both EVOLUTION.

Speciation is macroevolution

obvious Child · 10-07-08, 04:00 PM

Eh.

Big deal. Biologists have been tracking fly populations on the island of Hawaii for 50 years. Every once in a while the volcano erupts spewing lava all over the place. This just happens to leave isolated plots of forest. Over 50 years several of these isolated forest plots have produced new species of flies that are anatomically different from the base one found elsewhere in the island that isn't subject to volcanic activity and cannot mate with other species.

DarkWizard12 · 10-07-08, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoke[MaxX]

Creationists/Fundamentalists will argue that this is microevolution. Not like it matters anyway, microevolution and macroevolution are basically the same. They're both EVOLUTION.

hence the [micro/macro]evolution.

obvious Child · 10-07-08, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkWizard12

hence the [micro/macro]evolution.

Dark, you accepted Micro yes?

Why can't you accept macro?

All Macro evolution is, is the aggregating of the tiny changes in Micro. If I take a coffee table and slowly chip off wood day after day, to the point where all I have is wood chips, do I still have that original coffee table? No. A billion tiny changes sum to a few very large changes. It's like denying the bottle is full of water even though you accept that the tiny drops of liquid that went into the bottom over time are water.

new coup for you · 10-07-08, 10:29 PM

maybe Jesus changed them with his magic

DarkWizard12 · 10-07-08, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obvious Child

Dark, you accepted Micro yes?

Why can't you accept macro?

Depends on what you mean by Macro. Macro of Homo Sapians a million years ago, or macro of the OP's fish?

I'v always accepted Macroevolution. Just not Macroevolution....of homo-sapians...a million years ago.

obvious Child · 10-08-08, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkWizard12

Depends on what you mean by Macro. Macro of Homo Sapians a million years ago, or macro of the OP's fish?

I'v always accepted Macroevolution. Just not Macroevolution....of homo-sapians...a million years ago.

Why not? Why is Homosapien's evolution any different then a fish's in principle? There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Homo Sapien has special creation despite the wishes of religions ranging from Christanity to Yezidism.

I rationally cannot conceive how someone can not accept macroevolution if they accept micro. If I take a species and make a billion tiny changes, is that species the same one as the one before the billion tiny changes?

DarkWizard12 · 10-08-08, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obvious Child

Why not? Why is Homosapien's evolution any different then a fish's in principle? There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Homo Sapien has special creation despite the wishes of religions ranging from Christanity to Yezidism.

I rationally cannot conceive how someone can not accept macroevolution if they accept micro. If I take a species and make a billion tiny changes, is that species the same one as the one before the billion tiny changes?

did you not read? I do accept macro and micro. Get that rhrough your head or else it is pointless for me to tell you why I don't believe Homo Sapiens(us) evolved from monkeys over millions of years