Jan 16, 2024 04:36 PM
Wild hypothesis suggests insect wings arose from gills
https://www.sciencealert.com/wild-hypoth...ls-of-fish
EXCERPT: . . . These competing theories are sometimes known as the "flying squirrel" and the "flying fish" theories, but there is also a third hypothesis where a fusion of leg and gill structures both contribute to the evolution of wings – a weird squirrel-fish hybrid, if you will.
The problem with proving any of the theories correct is that ancient insect fossils are extremely rare to find. What's more, it is often assumed that the way these creatures developed as larvae hints at their evolution, even though there is little evidence to suggest that is the case.
Nevertheless, supporting genetic studies show that both the gills and wings of juvenile mayflies share similar developmental origins.
Today, modern crustaceans breathe through their exoskeleton, but the larvae of mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, and many more insects associated with the aquatic habitat, breathe through gills on their abdomen.
Now, a fossil analysis of insect larvae from around 300 million years ago hints at how these structures can become wings... (MORE - missing details)
Can animals evolve fast enough to keep up with climate change?
https://hakaimagazine.com/news/can-anima...te-change/
EXCERPT: . . . The traditional conception of evolution presents it as a gradual process, slowly shaping organisms over hundreds or thousands of years. In some cases, however, species can adapt much more quickly.
Research conducted over the past couple of decades has shown that evolution can occur on timescales similar to those of climate change. By figuring out what factors set the speed of evolution, scientists are hoping to identify what conditions give animals the best chances of keeping pace with the rapidly changing world.
In a new comprehensive review, Diamond and her colleagues pull together existing research on how quickly species can evolve climate-relevant traits, such as the ability to withstand high temperatures, dry conditions, or ocean acidification. Their sweep of the literature reveals plenty of good news. One of the laboratory experiments they consider, for example, shows that a species of green algae, Chlorella vulgaris, can rapidly evolve to tolerate temperatures 3 oC higher than its usual optimum.
Andrew Whitehead, who studies evolution and genomics at the University of California, Davis, says the species with the best chances of navigating the changes to come are those with large and genetically diverse populations. “Genetic variation is fuel for evolutionary change, and some [species] have more of that fuel than others,” he says.
Big, diverse populations can harbor more of the traits that might help a species adapt to new conditions... (MORE - missing details)
https://www.sciencealert.com/wild-hypoth...ls-of-fish
EXCERPT: . . . These competing theories are sometimes known as the "flying squirrel" and the "flying fish" theories, but there is also a third hypothesis where a fusion of leg and gill structures both contribute to the evolution of wings – a weird squirrel-fish hybrid, if you will.
The problem with proving any of the theories correct is that ancient insect fossils are extremely rare to find. What's more, it is often assumed that the way these creatures developed as larvae hints at their evolution, even though there is little evidence to suggest that is the case.
Nevertheless, supporting genetic studies show that both the gills and wings of juvenile mayflies share similar developmental origins.
Today, modern crustaceans breathe through their exoskeleton, but the larvae of mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, and many more insects associated with the aquatic habitat, breathe through gills on their abdomen.
Now, a fossil analysis of insect larvae from around 300 million years ago hints at how these structures can become wings... (MORE - missing details)
Can animals evolve fast enough to keep up with climate change?
https://hakaimagazine.com/news/can-anima...te-change/
EXCERPT: . . . The traditional conception of evolution presents it as a gradual process, slowly shaping organisms over hundreds or thousands of years. In some cases, however, species can adapt much more quickly.
Research conducted over the past couple of decades has shown that evolution can occur on timescales similar to those of climate change. By figuring out what factors set the speed of evolution, scientists are hoping to identify what conditions give animals the best chances of keeping pace with the rapidly changing world.
In a new comprehensive review, Diamond and her colleagues pull together existing research on how quickly species can evolve climate-relevant traits, such as the ability to withstand high temperatures, dry conditions, or ocean acidification. Their sweep of the literature reveals plenty of good news. One of the laboratory experiments they consider, for example, shows that a species of green algae, Chlorella vulgaris, can rapidly evolve to tolerate temperatures 3 oC higher than its usual optimum.
Andrew Whitehead, who studies evolution and genomics at the University of California, Davis, says the species with the best chances of navigating the changes to come are those with large and genetically diverse populations. “Genetic variation is fuel for evolutionary change, and some [species] have more of that fuel than others,” he says.
Big, diverse populations can harbor more of the traits that might help a species adapt to new conditions... (MORE - missing details)