“Magic of evolution”, or man-induced nonsense? THE plecopterainsects native to New Zealand, are changing color to respond to changes induced by humans on the environment, in particular due to deforestation. The study was led byUniversity of Otago (New Zealand).
In natural forest regions, a native species has developed “warning” colors which imitate those of a poisonous forest species – explains Jonathan M. Waters, who led the research – to deceive predators and make them believe that they too are poisonous
But now the stoneflies are changing pigmentation.
The connection with deforestation
This work, according to scientists, probably provides the clearest case in the world of animal evolution in response to change brought about by man.
In fact, the destruction of forests by humans has removed poisonous species. As a result, in deforested regions the imitator species has abandoned this strategyas there is nothing to imitate, instead evolving into a different color.
Man and his domineering relationship with nature
The Earth – we know – has changed climate even in the absence of human interventions, in times when human beings were not even on our planet. For example, even in prehistory there was an era of global warming.
A research conducted byHarvard University of 2002 argues that the era of large reptiles, of dinosaurs, was triggered precisely by global warming of almost 60 million years.
But we also know that the climate changes we are seeing now are happening over a much shorter time frame and that there is a clear link to human activities. On the other hand, the case of stoneflies is not the only case of human-induced evolution and by its domineering relationship with nature.
The best-known example of evolution caused by humans concerns peppered moths in the UKwhich have changed color in response to industrial pollution in the 1800salthough still considered controversial.
As scientists say, humans have disrupted ecological interactions among species that have evolved over millions of years, but some of the native species are resilient enough to overcome this problem.
This study is important because it demonstrates that, at least for some of them, there is the possibility of adapting to environmental changes caused by humans, even when the change is rapid” – claims Graham A. McCulloch, co-author of the work – It also demonstrates that independent populations they suffered similar changes in response to deforestation: there have been similar independent modifications in different parts of the species, demonstrating that evolution can be a predictable process
But we really want to continue force nature in this way?
The work was published on Science.
Sources: University of Otago / Science