Re-creation of a Species Reveals Much About Evolution

The anomalous sunflower, Helianthus anomalus, is the naturally occurring product of two other distinct sunflower species and has existed for about 100,000 years. Scientists studying the repeatability of evolution realized that re-enacting the origin of this species would be possible simply by interbreeding the two species of original sunflower parents. The resulting offspring would be an approximation of the plant that evolved to become the anomalous sunflower.

Scientists found to their surprise that the genetic maps of experimental hybrids were very similar to those of the wild species. They were astonished to realize that even after 100,000 years of evolution, the initial changes in the creation of this species were still clearly detectable. Evolution seems to be much more predictable and repeatable than we think, with genes going through the same types of changes when species are created in different ways.

Source: "First ever re-creation of new species' birth" by Carol Kaesuk Yoon, New York Times, May 7, 1996.

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