Biology Current Event Essay

Submitted By kmcclain12
Words: 311
Pages: 2

Karsyn McClain
B1 2/18/15 “Counting fish teeth reveals regulatory DNA changes behind rapid evolution, adaptation” Biologynews.net

Sticklebacks are the “roaches” of the fish world. They can evolve and adapt very quickly. They have moved from fresh water to salt water locations, and with each move they change their bodies to adapt to the environment. When scientist crossed a salt water and a fresh water stickleback they noticed that fresh water fish had double the amount of teeth than salt water fish. Scientist believe that the gene Bmp6, which is also found in humans, controls this adaptation and is also involved in tooth, bone, and jaw formation. Scientist believe that understanding this gene can help solve cleft palates and replace human teeth. This article is related to the topic we’re studying because it shows how animals evolve and change to fit their environment. We studied how the birds on the Galapagos Islands differed from each place depending on the type of prey or predators they had to deal with. They were the same species, however they were structurally different to match their environment. The Sticklebacks are the same way. The freshwater sticklebacks had to develop more teeth and stronger jaw because their prey was larger. The freshwater sticklebacks also don’t have as much protective layers because they have fewer predators. I liked this article and I think it was very informational. It showed me a real life application of what we were