Can evolution be sped up?

Answer 1

In order for evolution to work, you need genetic diversity and some means of not transferring it equally to the next generation. Therefore, you can speed up evolution by increasing the rate of mutation (and, to some degree, recombination) and making the passage of the genes to the next generation very unequal. The later could be done by a harsher selective pressure (e.g. breeders would screen thousands of apple trees, but choose only one for propagation) or by taking a very small sample from the total pool and isolating it. In the later case, the gene pool in the small sample is likely to be different from the average for the larger parental population. This is similar to selection except that the chosen gene pool is not necessarily better adapted to the new environment. If from a rabbit farm that has rabbits of various colors and sizes you have accidentally taken a pair of big black rabbits into a voyage to settle a new island, the new population of rabbits will be big and black by chance. This would technically count as an evolutionary event.

Answer 2

By definition evolution is the change in a gene pool over time.

There is no way to speed up natural evolution as natural selection must take place, and as you know, natural selection takes a while to make significant changes.

People can alter the gene pool by something called artificial evolution. People can influence the presence of specific genes. For example breeding animals like dogs selectively removes the unwanted genes from the gene pool. This method is not natural, hence the name artificial evolution.

So technically you can speed up evolution if you want, it's just hard.

Answer 3

Very good question, and although others may say "no" the truth is yes. It can be sped up through artificial selection. This meant when humans interfere and take out individuals from a group. For example, if there is a population of black rats and gray rats, and humans do not like black rats, because they look bad for example and kill all the black rats, then only the gray rats will be left. If these gray rats reproduce, 75% of the off-springs will be gray and 25% will be black. If the final black rats are exterminated the population will become only gray.

A real life scenario happens in Japan with Samurai Crab. There is a species of crab in Japan who's shell looks like a samurai. When Japanese people catch the crabs, they don't want to eat them, because they are reminded of samurai, so they just throw them back in. All the crabs who do not look like samurai are eaten, so then we are left with a giant population of Samurai Crabs.

I hope that answers your question!

Answer 4

Global warming will speed up evolution. All creatures that can't cope with the coming climate changes will die and not reproduce. Those that can cope will survive and leave offspring that inherits the same ability to survive.

Rapid climate changes have sped up evolution in the distant past.

Answer 5

yes it can but not by human hands if a radical enviroment change occured like say a volcano destroyed an entire island and there is no way for the animals to get off the island but some survived some would be born with better skills and they would survive mate a reproduce that traite but even stronger and the others would die that is called natural selection which leads to a dramatic change in lifestyle and possibly appearence which is evolution

Answer 6

I don't know if "sped up" is the right term, but it sure is being directed by human beings. With all the medical treatments and drugs available we are keeping alive people who have
"defects" and then they can pass these along to their children.

Answer 7

Put what you want in a microwave and it speeds it up you gumby