ANTH 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Lava, Melanocortin 1 Receptor, Sickle-Cell Disease
Document Summary
Rock mice: volcanic explosion that left landscape darkened. On desert sands, rock mouse light fur helps blend in. On dark landscape allows to be seen by visual predators easily. Mice have evolved to darken with rock. Evolved so that predators will not see (white belly) Predators weed out (cid:373)i(cid:272)e that do(cid:374)"t (cid:373)at(cid:272)h the (cid:271)a(cid:272)kgrou(cid:374)d. Dna extracted from white and dark mouse from same region. Difference is in gene mc1r- amount of pigment in hair follicles. Hundreds of thousands of mice are born each year. 5% advantage compounded year in and year out can change an entire population (black fur) In 1000 years, 95% of mice turn black with 1% advantage, with 10% advantage, only takes 100 years. Counters idea that evolution is random process. Shows evolution can and does repeat itself and how evolutionary change is constantly going. Making of the fittest: sickle cell anemia is genetic disease. Sickle cell: red blood cells become crescents instead of disks.
