Jim Smith and team document domino effect of evolutionary change
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EmailA team of scientists that includes entomologist Jim Smith has found that recent evolutionary changes have an almost domino effect on a number of species.
A team of scientists that includes entomologist Jim Smith has found that recent evolutionary changes have an almost domino effect on a number of species. The concept that biodiversity feeds upon itself is not uncommon in the world of evolution. The problem is a lack of hard data that shows this process to be naturally occurring. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, follows up work done by the team several years ago that found changes in mating habits resulted not only in a new species of fruit fly, but also led to a new species of the parasitic wasps that prey on them. According to Smith, “The new study extends the earlier work by showing that new fruit fly species provide suitable habitat not just for one new parasitoid species, but for multiple new species.” Read more at MSU Today: Speedy evolution affects more than just one species.
