Long-term laboratory studies, like Lenski's E. coli, that watch evolution happen in real time.
Richard Lenski's long-term E. coli experiment started in 1988 and has passed 75,000 generations. One population evolved to use citrate aerobically after about 31,500 generations. Replicated populations show the repeatability of adaptation and the role of chance.
Long-term laboratory studies, like Lenski's E. coli, that watch evolution happen in real time.
Experimental Evolution is one of the 53 topics in Evolution. It is rated Advanced, so it suits learners who want specialist depth. Related topics in this area include Founder Effect and Bottleneck, Allopatric Speciation, Natural Selection.
Yeast and virus experiments also show rapid adaptation.
Work through the Beginner topics in Evolution first, such as Evolution, Natural Selection, Charles Darwin, then return to Experimental Evolution. Advanced topics assume the Intermediate vocabulary.
The closest topics to Experimental Evolution are Founder Effect and Bottleneck, Allopatric Speciation, Natural Selection, Cambrian Explosion. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Experimental Evolution. To practise the whole of Evolution, use the Evolution quiz.
Experimental Evolution: Long-term laboratory studies, like Lenski's E. coli, that watch evolution happen in real time. Founder Effect and Bottleneck: Loss of genetic diversity after a few individuals found a new population or numbers crash. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Founder Effect and Bottleneck and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Evolution quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
Loss of genetic diversity after a few individuals found a new population or numbers crash.
🦎 EvolutionSpeciation after a geographic barrier separates populations, as with Darwin's finches on separate islands.
🦎 EvolutionIndividuals with traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more, passing those traits on.
🦎 EvolutionA rapid diversification of animal body plans about 540 million years ago.
🦎 Evolution