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RAPID EVOLUTION IN ACTION

How It Works UK

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Issue 204

We think of evolution as a slow, gradual process, but that’s not always the case. Some species undergo a rapid transformation

- ALEX DALE

RAPID EVOLUTION IN ACTION

INSECT

MOTHS THAT GOT DARKER, THEN LIGHTER

The most famous example of ‘microevolution’ – evolution that occurs within 100 years and can be observed in a human lifetime – is a phenomenon we call ‘industrial melanism’. This most commonly occurs in butterflies and moths, and the most studied case is that of the peppered moth in Great Britain. Before the Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of peppered moths were white with a speckled pattern on their wings – only a small proportion of the species’ population boasted black bodies and wings. Natural selection favoured the white moths because their speckled colours allowed them to blend in with the lichen on tree bark, camouflaging them from predators.

However, in urban areas, smoke from factories changed the moths’ environment, both by killing off much of the lichen and darkening the tree bark itself. This increased the black moths’ chances of surviving to pass on their genes over the years, leading to an ever-darkening population of peppered moths. Now that the air is cleaner, the speckled form is more common once again.

imagePLANT

THE SEEDS THAT GOT HEAVIER

How It Works UK से और कहानियाँ

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

UNCANNY'S DANNY ROBINS

The creator and host of the BBC's Uncanny series tells us about his most chilling experiences while researching the show, and writing a ghost book for children

time to read

4 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

HOW FEATHERS GROW

A bird's proteinaceous plumage comes from the same source as our hair

time to read

1 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

New EV battery technology could power 500-mile road trips on a 12-minute charge

Scientists have used a neat chemistry trick to tackle a major challenge facing future batteries.

time to read

2 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

HOW AIR PURIFIERS WORK

These filtration devices clean a room's air of particles that can make a person sick

time to read

1 min

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

Chinese scientists hunt for alien radio signals in a 'potentially habitable' star system

TRAPPIST-1 is a red dwarf star located about 40 light years away that hosts seven Earth-sized rocky planets, with at least three orbiting in the habitable zone where liquid water could exist.

time to read

2 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?

Our bodies are vessels for life, but in death they undergo a cascade of chemical and biological changes

time to read

3 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

WHY ARE KEYBOARDS QWERTY?

There's a reason why this seemingly random arrangement of letters is widely used on keyboard layouts

time to read

1 min

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

A 'quasi-moon' discovered in Earth orbit may have been hiding for decades

A new paper describes a possible 'quasi-moon' of Earth, an interloping asteroid that may have been following our planet around for decades, undetected.

time to read

1 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

WHAT'S AN ANTI-DRONE GUN?

How these devices intercept and disable unmanned aerial vehicles

time to read

1 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

Dozens of mysterious blobs discovered inside Mars may be 'failed planets'

Giant impact structures, including the potential remains of ancient ‘protoplanets’, may be lurking deep beneath the surface of Mars.

time to read

2 mins

Issue 208

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