• Question: What animal evolves the fastest?

    Asked by ameb to Charlotte, Jo, Kevin, Louise, Valeria on 18 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Kevin Mahon

      Kevin Mahon answered on 18 Jun 2012:

      Animals that pass their genes on quickest will technically evolve ‘faster’ so anything with a short lifecycle, insects for example.

    • Photo: Joanna Cruden

      Joanna Cruden answered on 18 Jun 2012:

      One of the reasons mice are used for research is because they have a quick gestation and Genetically Modifications can manifest rapidly through the generations.

      So the shorter they live the more rapidly a species can evolve, but it is often environmentally driven so if the environment changes dramatically the species is likely to evolve quicker than if the environment stays static

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