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Scientists 'see new species born'
BBC News Online science editor ^ | 2004 June | By Dr David Whitehouse

Posted on 11/20/2005 9:27:40 AM PST by restornu

Scientists at the University of Arizona may have witnessed the birth of a new species. Biologists Laura Reed and Prof Therese Markow made the discovery by observing breeding patterns of fruit flies that live on rotting cacti in deserts.

The work could help scientists identify the genetic changes that lead one species to evolve into two species.

The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

One becomes two

Whether the two closely related fruit fly populations the scientists studied - Drosophila mojavensis and Drosophila arizonae - represent one species or two is still debated by biologists.

However, the University of Arizona researchers believe the insects are in the early stages of diverging into separate species.

The emergence of a new species - speciation - occurs when distinct populations of a species stop reproducing with one another.

When the two groups can no longer interbreed, they cease exchanging genes and eventually go their own evolutionary ways becoming separate species. Though speciation is a crucial element of understanding how evolution works, biologists have not been able to discover the factors that initiate the process.

In fruit flies there are several examples of mutant genes that prevent different species from breeding but scientists do not know if they are the cause or just a consequence of speciation.

Sterile males

In the wild, Drosophila mojavensis and Drosophila arizonae rarely, if ever, interbreed - even though their geographical ranges overlap.

In the lab, researchers can coax successful breeding but there are complications.

Drosophila mojavensi s mothers typically produce healthy offspring after mating with Drosophila arizonae males, but when Drosophila arizonae females mate with Drosphila mojavensis males, the resulting males are sterile.

Laura Reed maintains that such limited capacity for interbreeding indicates that the two groups are on the verge of becoming completely separate species.

Another finding that adds support to that idea is that in a strain of Drosophila mojavensis from southern California's Catalina Island, mothers always produce sterile males when mated with Drosophila arizonae males.

Because the hybrid male's sterility depends on the mother's genes, the researchers say the genetic change must be recent.

Reed has also discovered that only about half the females in the Catalina Island population had the gene (or genes) that confer sterility in the hybrid male offspring.

However, when she looked at the Drosophila mojavensi s females from other geographic regions, she found that a small fraction of those populations also exhibited the hybrid male sterility.

The newly begun Drosophila mojavensis genome sequencing project, which will provide a complete roadmap of every gene in the species, will help scientists pin down which genes are involved in speciation.


TOPICS: Education; Science
KEYWORDS: crevolist; evofreak; speciation
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To: CarolinaGuitarman

A lawyerly attempt when I intentionally used a slash mark and the word or? Now you have the ability to read minds and know intent? You're a joke.


181 posted on 11/20/2005 4:00:13 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: nicmarlo

"A lawyerly attempt when I intentionally used a slash mark and the word or? Now you have the ability to read minds and know intent? You're a joke."

And you're a coward.


182 posted on 11/20/2005 4:01:57 PM PST by CarolinaGuitarman ("There is a grandeur in this view of life...")
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To: restornu; phantomworker; Darksheare; Lakeshark; Borax Queen
he don't realized that he is talking to shark and snakes and yellow stuff and paranoid ghost, fuzzy bugs etc!

and turnips. : )

183 posted on 11/20/2005 4:06:39 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: js1138
might have to give up FR, mostly

:-(

184 posted on 11/20/2005 4:51:59 PM PST by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: furball4paws

Thanks. :-)


185 posted on 11/20/2005 4:54:30 PM PST by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: restornu

Old news, Yikes.


186 posted on 11/20/2005 6:25:39 PM PST by EsmeraldaA ("People that think they are geniuses are really annoying to those of us who are." hehe hehe.)
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To: EsmeraldaA

What's a fine lady like you doing on a thread like this?


187 posted on 11/20/2005 6:40:50 PM PST by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: EsmeraldaA; Lakeshark

Ahmmm Esmer that's not a fly....


188 posted on 11/20/2005 6:50:27 PM PST by restornu (Rush 24/7 Adopt-A-Soldier Program solution to CNN)
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To: restornu; nicmarlo; phantomworker; Borax Queen

A shark fly........speciation at its finest.


189 posted on 11/20/2005 7:06:21 PM PST by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: Lakeshark
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmm.........I dunno...forgot all about it.
190 posted on 11/20/2005 7:09:51 PM PST by EsmeraldaA ("People that think they are geniuses are really annoying to those of us who are." hehe hehe.)
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To: restornu

I'm out....


191 posted on 11/20/2005 7:11:00 PM PST by EsmeraldaA ("People that think they are geniuses are really annoying to those of us who are." hehe hehe.)
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To: EsmeraldaA
You may have forgot. But this thread is clearly the most important, earth shattering thread filled with breelliant science types who are ultra-manly......
192 posted on 11/20/2005 7:12:30 PM PST by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: Lakeshark; EsmeraldaA; nicmarlo; phantomworker; Borax Queen
Get him!



193 posted on 11/20/2005 7:19:02 PM PST by restornu (Rush 24/7 Adopt-A-Soldier Program solution to CNN)
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To: EsmeraldaA

Did you say time out??

194 posted on 11/20/2005 7:24:36 PM PST by restornu (Rush 24/7 Adopt-A-Soldier Program solution to CNN)
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To: restornu
Whether the two closely related fruit fly populations the scientists studied - Drosophila mojavensis and Drosophila arizonae - represent one species or two is still debated by biologists.

However, the University of Arizona researchers believe the insects are in the early stages of diverging into separate species.


Irony.
195 posted on 11/20/2005 7:28:15 PM PST by beezdotcom (I'm usually either right or wrong...)
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To: Lakeshark
A shark fly........speciation at its finest.

At its finest! ;)

196 posted on 11/20/2005 7:49:25 PM PST by phantomworker (A new day! Begin it serenely; with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense!)
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To: phantomworker
Hey.......just in time.

How was shopping? Heard there was some prob in Tacoma......t/f?

197 posted on 11/20/2005 7:50:45 PM PST by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: restornu

Be careful before you destroy an entire species with one swat!


198 posted on 11/20/2005 7:50:50 PM PST by phantomworker (A new day! Begin it serenely; with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense!)
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To: Lakeshark

t/f?

I heard about the shoot out at the Tacoma mall before I left, so I went in the other direction. Was tempted to go and check it out though. LOL! Sounds funny, shoot out at the mall.

Missed all the details. Tacoma is about 35 miles south.


199 posted on 11/20/2005 7:54:59 PM PST by phantomworker (A new day! Begin it serenely; with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense!)
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To: phantomworker; restornu

Totally in violation of the endangered speciation act.....


200 posted on 11/20/2005 7:56:32 PM PST by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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