4/29/2009 PERMALINK
Experiments using ecosystems of enzymatic RNA molecules vividly demonstrates Darwinian evolution in action Sarah Voytek, Ph.D. has used ecosystems of enzymatic RNA molecules to demonstrate the classic principles of Darwinian evolution. The research shows that when different species directly compete for the same finite resource, only the fittest will survive. The work also demonstrates how, when given a variety of resources, the different species will evolve to become increasingly specialized, each filling different niches within their common ecosystem. By putting a trillion RNA molecules replicating every few minutes in a test tube, "we can study things very quickly," says Scripps Research Professor Gerald Joyce, M.D., Ph.D. This allows the forces of evolution to be observed to work over the course of just a few days.... READ