Scientists find re-evolution occurring in insects

ToshiroOC · Jan 16, 2003, 05:41 AM

by ABC Sci-Tech
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In a finding that proves that even the theory of evolution changes, scientists have shown that some insects lost and then regained their ability to fly.

Researchers had thought that it was impossible for an organism to re-evolve a complex trait like wings but walking sticks, small insects that look like twigs, have proven them wrong.

After examining DNA from 35 species of walking sticks, evolutionary biologist Michael Whiting and his colleagues at Brigham Young University in Utah found that wings had been lost in some of the primitive insects and then re-evolved at least four times over tens of millions of years.

"Traditional thought for the last two centuries has been that wings had only evolved once in evolution but our study demonstrates that in walking stick insects wings were re-evolved on multiple occasions," Mr Whiting said in an interview.

The research reported in the science journal Nature challenges basic beliefs of evolution - that wings evolved only once in insects and that if a trait is lost is cannot be regained.

It also opens a new direction for research because it shows that once a complex figure has evolved it can be maintained over long evolutionary period even if it is not apparent on the outside.

Over a 50 million year period, even though the stick insects did not have wings the genes for creating them appeared to have been maintained.

Article can be read here.

Jan 16, 2003, 05:41 AM	#1
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	Scientists find re-evolution occurring in insects by ABC Sci-Tech ----- In a finding that proves that even the theory of evolution changes, scientists have shown that some insects lost and then regained their ability to fly. Researchers had thought that it was impossible for an organism to re-evolve a complex trait like wings but walking sticks, small insects that look like twigs, have proven them wrong. After examining DNA from 35 species of walking sticks, evolutionary biologist Michael Whiting and his colleagues at Brigham Young University in Utah found that wings had been lost in some of the primitive insects and then re-evolved at least four times over tens of millions of years. "Traditional thought for the last two centuries has been that wings had only evolved once in evolution but our study demonstrates that in walking stick insects wings were re-evolved on multiple occasions," Mr Whiting said in an interview. The research reported in the science journal Nature challenges basic beliefs of evolution - that wings evolved only once in insects and that if a trait is lost is cannot be regained. It also opens a new direction for research because it shows that once a complex figure has evolved it can be maintained over long evolutionary period even if it is not apparent on the outside. Over a 50 million year period, even though the stick insects did not have wings the genes for creating them appeared to have been maintained. Article can be read here. __________________ [img][/img] [color=White]Peace be with you, Joe.[/color] Driverheaven Staff Member (Supermoderator)