Stickleback: An Example Of Evolution

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The stickleback fish are a prime example of evolution through natural selection. Fossil records show changes in whether the stickleback had spines or not, and in the amount of predatory fish at that time. The spines they have are homologous to a horse’s hind legs, and are used to protect from predatory fish attacks. Depending on if there are predatory fish or no predatory fish, stickleback will keep their spines or lose them. Stickleback once shared a common ancestor, but as the world changed and evolved, so did the stickleback. Stickleback, like many other species, are diploid, meaning they take chromosomes from both the mother and father. Since they take chromosomes from two different sources, this causes many variations in their phenotype.