KINE 1020 Study Guide - Final Guide: Blind Fish

• School: York University
• Department: Kinesiology & Health Science
• Course: KINE 1020
• Professor: Michael Riddell

Document Summary

A new selective environment must exist or develop. We spoke of the case of the blind cave fish as an example (the pattern is the same for many cave-dwelling species, including the cave salamander). When the fish previously lived in the light, functioning eyes were useful and provided advantages to the holder. In the new environment (darkness), mutations on any of the genes that are involved with the making of the eyes are no longer selected against. This is because neither fish with eyes nor fish with mutant eyes can see. Such mutations would not need to spread, but nor would they be selected for.