Evolution's Impact On Ecosystems Shown Directly For First Time

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401181234.htm

Scientists have come to agree that different environments impact the evolution of new species. Now experiments conducted at the University of British Columbia are showing for the first time that the reverse is also true.

Researchers from the UBC Biodiversity Research Centre created mini-ecosystems in large aquatic tanks using different species of three-spine stickleback fish and saw substantial differences in the ecosystems in as little as 11 weeks

interesting

I do not have a problem with evolution whether this happens in a short time or a long time.

I do have a problem with the direction evolution takes.

Where are our wings?

How come we have not got self tanning?

Why can`t we grow new limbs?

It almost seems like you lot get this evolutionary aid and you other lot get this aid.

john

well, since evolution is random and assuming that we all started from little patches of goo in the ocean, then i think this world is very diverse and random. why would you be arrogant enough to think that every animal and species should have the same thing.

part of evolution is the randomness that happens. thus we have a large number of different animals, plants and insects on this one planet

Please! Random reminds me of a crap game when the dice are NOT loaded. It shal NEVER be associated with evolution. Species adapt to changes in their habitat. It is either Adapt or die!

Surely species change with evolution when their enviroment changes and when enviromental changes occur the species needs to change to adapt or it becomes extinct.

There have been studies on bacteria that showed that the mutations they underwent were directly associated with the stresses they endured, and other random mutations for the most part did not occur. For example, they took bacteria that could not process lactose, and put them in a petri dish with nothing to eat but lactose, and within a few weeks, all the bacteria in the petri dish had adapted to live on lactose. No other genetic adaptations occurred during that time.

The *theory* of evolution has so many holes it's laughable.
Where are the billions of fossils showing concrete and clear progressions between species?

--or the evidence that once species turns into another?

Science doesn't have it, so I'm not convinced. Species only change as far as I'm concerned, in the shuffling of genes they already have, for the producing of new types within the species.

We can produce remarkable changes over a handful of generations in dog breeding.

Adaption is what animals do all the time in ever changing environments, and it's not random I agree.

Lili,

What are the mechanics for the bacteria to make the specific change?

This is what I am concerned about, everything seems very convenient when really there has to be an exchange of information during evolution.

Are the bacteria aware they need to evolve?

If not then the ability to evolve exactly as required must be something organisms can do naturally.

Then there needs to be some method for the organism to know what kind of change to make.

This goes against the survival of the fittest in favour of survive for the time being.

As 99% of all species have become extinct then surviving for the time being seems the norm.

john

What bothers me is how can you have a half formed limb or eye? All the freaks would get eaten in no time!

Yes, survival for the time being is a good phrase and animals need to have a perfect body to suit their environment.

Astronomer,

I have dealt with the problem with the gap between a fully formed genetic mutation and the likelyhood that the in between stages created a serious threat to the lifeform.

I also tried to point out the odds on a half formed mutation ever getting the other half correct without any exchange of information.

Most people do not want to know any problems or look at the correct odds on a certain evolution happening in favour of an uncomplicated simplistic view os evolution.

john

Half an eye is incredibly useful,
Even 1% of an eye is incredibly useful.

So useful that some species still use it today,
Light sensitive cells can tell you very roughly where light is coming from and as the eye gets better and better in tiny incriments its gives a better and better ability to see objects and eventually to very clear vision...if its needed for the enviroment that is.
Many deep sea creatures still have the crude light sensitive cells because they are perfectly adequate for life in their enviroment.

Good LORD!
we've been through this before john and it's been explained to you in detail about 50 times, at least 10 of those by me personally.
Read over your evolution thread a few times for clarification.

Wings? We spend most of our time on our asses, and look, they're getting bigger. We don't use our eyes to see long distances, and they are becoming weaker. We cater to weakness, why should we grow new limbs. Evolution, or de-evolution in our case, is alive and well.