It’s
a very common misconception that you cannot observe Evolution in
action. Yet, as scientists have shown time and time again, you can...
Take the example of C. thalictri, which is a moth that is widely
distributed across parts of Asia and Europe. It was long thought that
this moth fed only on fruits. However, a group of researchers discovered
Russian populations of this moth that had developed
a taste for blood. In an experiment, the Russian moths were offered
human hands. The offer was quickly taken by the moths, which drilled
their hook-and-barb lined proboscises into the skin and sucked blood.
It is theorized that this population could be on an “evolutionary
trajectory” away from other fruit-eating populations. In other animals,
it is hypothesized that blood feeding “evolved from behaviours such as
feeding on tears, dung, and pus-filled wounds.” We can see that the
Vampire Moth may be beginning to take a similar course. From a
physiological perspective, the hook-and-barb lined tongue (which helps
to pierce fruit) is relatively rare among moths and butterflies. This
adaptation may have allowed for blood-feeding behaviour to evolve.
Clearly, the change is a very drastic one. It is just one example of
scientists managing to catch Evolution in the act.
Researchers
noticed that blood-feeding behaviour was only exhibited by male Vampire
Moths. There was no evidence that it offered any advantage to the male
moth. It is possible, therefore, that the male moths present the salty
blood as a sexual gift to females during copulation. The gift would be a
source of nutrition to the larvae, which would increase their chances
of survival.
Read all about it: http://bit.ly/2yddie
National Geographic News Report: http://bit.ly/tnWoW
Photo Credit: J.M. Zaspel, V.S. Kononenko, and P.Z. Goldstein
It’s
a very common misconception that you cannot observe Evolution in
action. Yet, as scientists have shown time and time again, you can...
Take the example of C. thalictri, which is a moth that is widely distributed across parts of Asia and Europe. It was long thought that this moth fed only on fruits. However, a group of researchers discovered Russian populations of this moth that had developed
Take the example of C. thalictri, which is a moth that is widely distributed across parts of Asia and Europe. It was long thought that this moth fed only on fruits. However, a group of researchers discovered Russian populations of this moth that had developed
a taste for blood. In an experiment, the Russian moths were offered
human hands. The offer was quickly taken by the moths, which drilled
their hook-and-barb lined proboscises into the skin and sucked blood.
It is theorized that this population could be on an “evolutionary trajectory” away from other fruit-eating populations. In other animals, it is hypothesized that blood feeding “evolved from behaviours such as feeding on tears, dung, and pus-filled wounds.” We can see that the Vampire Moth may be beginning to take a similar course. From a physiological perspective, the hook-and-barb lined tongue (which helps to pierce fruit) is relatively rare among moths and butterflies. This adaptation may have allowed for blood-feeding behaviour to evolve. Clearly, the change is a very drastic one. It is just one example of scientists managing to catch Evolution in the act.
Researchers noticed that blood-feeding behaviour was only exhibited by male Vampire Moths. There was no evidence that it offered any advantage to the male moth. It is possible, therefore, that the male moths present the salty blood as a sexual gift to females during copulation. The gift would be a source of nutrition to the larvae, which would increase their chances of survival.
Read all about it: http://bit.ly/2yddie
National Geographic News Report: http://bit.ly/tnWoW
Photo Credit: J.M. Zaspel, V.S. Kononenko, and P.Z. Goldstein
It is theorized that this population could be on an “evolutionary trajectory” away from other fruit-eating populations. In other animals, it is hypothesized that blood feeding “evolved from behaviours such as feeding on tears, dung, and pus-filled wounds.” We can see that the Vampire Moth may be beginning to take a similar course. From a physiological perspective, the hook-and-barb lined tongue (which helps to pierce fruit) is relatively rare among moths and butterflies. This adaptation may have allowed for blood-feeding behaviour to evolve. Clearly, the change is a very drastic one. It is just one example of scientists managing to catch Evolution in the act.
Researchers noticed that blood-feeding behaviour was only exhibited by male Vampire Moths. There was no evidence that it offered any advantage to the male moth. It is possible, therefore, that the male moths present the salty blood as a sexual gift to females during copulation. The gift would be a source of nutrition to the larvae, which would increase their chances of survival.
Read all about it: http://bit.ly/2yddie
National Geographic News Report: http://bit.ly/tnWoW
Photo Credit: J.M. Zaspel, V.S. Kononenko, and P.Z. Goldstein
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