Butterfly unlocks evolution secret

[Walt Starr]

Butterfly unlocks evolution secret

By Julianna Kettlewell
BBC News science reporter

Why one species branches into two is a question that has haunted evolutionary biologists since Darwin.

Given our planet's rich biodiversity, "speciation" clearly happens regularly, but scientists cannot quite pinpoint the driving forces behind it.

Now, researchers studying a family of butterflies think they have witnessed a subtle process, which could be forcing a wedge between newly formed species.


The team, from Harvard University, US, discovered that closely related species living in the same geographical space displayed unusually distinct wing markings.

<snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4708459.stm

Observance of speciation gets another step closer.

[Ezlivin]

1. But weren't butterflies designed?

That's what I'm hearing is the real scientific truth.

Oh, wait a second, there's another reality show on tv. Gotta go....

[Coexist]

2. Why do you hate our country, sir?

thanks for the cool article.

In another life - I would love to be a scientist!
<snip>
"Although scientists have speculated about this mechanism for years, it has rarely been witnessed in nature.

"The phenomenon of reinforcement is one of the very few mechanisms that has natural selection playing a role in speciation," said Harvard co-author Nikolai Kandul. "It might be very widespread but it is hard to find good evidence of it."

[wtmusic]

3. You mean Time and Newsweek aren't jumping all over this?

Must be a little too "controversial".

[CoffeeCat]

4. On a (sort of, but not really )related note...

...the other day, I spotted a white moth. It was completely stark white, with white "fur" around it's head. It was really cool.

This was the first white moth I have ever seen.

I remembered reading about white moths in biology class. They're rarity was used to demonstrate "natural selection". White moths are more easily spotted, by prey, on the bark of dark-colored trees. So, more are gobbled up and very few are out there.

I thought that was so cool to see one.

He was resting on our house--which was white--so I'm figuring that he was pretty smart. :)

[Village Idiot]

10. Grow some broccoli...

You will soon see quite a few white moths...

They certainly have caused problems in my little garden this year...

[CoffeeCat]

15. Ohhhh...fresh broccoli...

...that must be amazing!

[TlalocW]

5. This just in

Jerry Falwell calls for destruction of all butterflies as they're demonic and anti-God. Congressional republicans introduce bill to round up all butterflies to be sent to Guantanamo Bay. Developing.

TlalocW

[kliljedahl]

6. I heard about this years ago at Black Canyon of the Gunnison

in SW Colorado. Was on a nature hike with the Ranger. He told of a butterfly living in the area. Those living on each side of the canyon were genetically identical except for wing color. The canyon is such a formidable obstacle that after it developed the butterflies on each side evolved differently. Of course, that's when they could still mention evolution in national parks.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Desertrose]

14. Thats pretty cool...about the butterflies AND the evolution statement!

:)

[kliljedahl]

16. I really like your website

You do some beautiful work. Wish I had some money to buy one of your Southwest Spirit Series shields.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Toots]

7. When man witnesses a new species being created Evolution will be Law

For man's history, fifteen thousand years, that has not been witnessed thus evolution is still theory. Lots of evidence to back it up but no actual change has ever been witnessed so we must suffer the term Theory which will constantly misunderstood by idiots. Wer have witnessed many mutations and have created things like mules and zonkeys but they can not create offspring so still only a mutation. We need to see an actual new specie come into being.

[Walt Starr]

9. You need to educate yourself on the definition of "theory"

"Law" is not longer an accepted scientific term.

I suggest you educate yourself.

[Walt Starr]

11. Observed instances of speciation

Read this:

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-speciation.html

We've observed speciation.

[Toots]

17. Very good reading ...thank you

Not convinced yet though. Most speciation covered only plant life and most resorted back to sterility. The housefly experiments was most convincing but not totally. I would give anything for a real live vertibrae specie to be developed. I believe in evolution and that eventually we will actually witness such an event but......

[mondo joe]

18. Move the goal post - nice.

Basically you're saying okay there is observed speciation but not ENOUGH.

Species won't just pop up and out of other species - you're not going to see one. A new species is what you get over generations of cumulative miniscule changes. It's not a bunch of horses suddenly giving birth to a different species of post-horses.

[Toots]

19. Don't buy it

The time frame suggests we should have witnessed many many cases of speciation. How long have animals inhabited the earth and how many species have come and gone. Do the math.....

[mondo joe]

20. What exactly do you think speciation would look like?

Please be specific.

Also, since you suggest I "do the math" exactly which mathematic formula do you think would yield the frequency with which we'd see speciation? I'd like to see your rationale.

[Kraklen]

21. Last I checked, mice were vertebrates...

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/speciation.html

Not that I expect that you won't move the goal posts again. Nor do I think you really believe in evolution.

Care to explain what's so special about vertebrates when it comes to evolution, other than they reproduce relatively slowing and therefore speciation is much harder to observe?

[Toots]

22. Okay here is my take on it

Do you think the Creatyionists would give a damn if a plant evolved? This is about the argument put forth by Creationists. I am not one nor am I a Christian or of any religious denomination. I try to think in a logical manner. It is all about the evolution of animals actually humans. All I am saying is it would sure make things a lot easier if we could point to a real honest to goodness new specie of large animal to buttress the Evolution Theory. It would make life oh so much easier for all. That has not happened. That is all I am saying. Given the time span of human history and the amount of species that have come and gone one would think it only natural we would have witnessed such a change at least one time and if you do the math it should have happened numerous times. That is the reason they have adopted the new addition o the theory of evolution happening in leaps and bounds. Periods of no activity and then periods of much activity. Talk about changing the goal posts. I rerally have no dog in this fight as I could give a shit where man came from but I like Logic and things on both sides are not very logical IMO.

[Walt Starr]

23. Life is life

If plants evolve and it can be demonstrated and obsereved, evolution has even more evidence to support it.

Nothing will convince the Creationists short of an ape evolving into a human before their eyes. They have no ijntelligence.

[Kraklen]

24. large animal?

First it's any new species, then it's a new vertebrate species, than it's a new large animal species?

And you're accusing others of changing the goal posts?

Let's say there are 10,000 animal species larger than humans, I think that's being generous, but their have been plenty that have gone extinct, so I think that's ballpark. 10,000 into the 4 billion years that life has been on year gives a new species every 400,000 years, give or take an order of magnitude. Now it's only been 150 years of a few thousand scientists actively looking for evolutionary changes, so no, we wouldn't expect to see new "large" animal species.

Now we have seen plenty of new species, we've already shown you several. But you keep sticking your fingers in your ears and saying "la la la" as loud as you can.

What ever you're on about, it's not logic.

[pitohui]

26. amazona ochrocephala superspecies

decent-sized animal and is intelligent, as intelligent as your dog who won't join the fight

it may be logical that the sun rises in the east, in fact, we can all see that it does, but logic is not science and science is not logic, logic is just a game, science is about a search for reality

not interested in playing dr spock, more interested in finding out what is

[pitohui]

25. birds are vertebrates also

a little rusty on this but aren't we seeing speciation with some of the warblers

maybe speciation in the aratinga genus as well

i've heard debate about the amazona ochrocephala superspecies, if this is speciation we're seeing, sure looks like it to me but i'm no ernst mayr

the whole nation of peru looks like an experiment in speciation, ask john o'neill

hard to look at tropical birds and not be convinced that speciation can occur almost before your eyes even in vertebrates

[msongs]

12. thanks for proving christianity is just a theory ->

since according to you, "We need to see an actual new specie come into being." and of course we have not seen an actual new specie such as god or jesus come into being or even exist at all for that matter.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[mondo joe]

13. Thank you for proving you don't understand evolution in the least.

Why yoour commplete lack of understanding of the topic doesn't hinder your willingness to address it is a different mystery.

[Village Idiot]

8. I keep wondering when...

...all the crap we have done to the earth is going to help spawn 35 foot man-eating cockroaches from Hell...