With coastal regions becoming more polluted day by day, it is becoming increasingly harder for species to survive in these toxic conditions. However, in East Coast estuaries, the Atlantic killfish have resiliently adapted to the intense levels of pollution. Evolution is working hard to save some urban fish from a lethal, human-altered environment, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis, and published Dec. 9 in the journal Science. The killifish is up to 8,000 times more resistant to this level of pollution than other fish, the study found. One of the reasons is their high level of genetic diversity, which is higher than any other vertebrate. "This study shows that different populations of Atlantic killifish exposed to toxic pollution evolve tolerance to that pollution through changes in one molecular pathway," said George Gilchrist.
This study is important because it exemplifies the importance of genetic diversity within ecosystems, especially with the amount of pollution within the environment. Genetic diversity strengthens species, and allows them to be protected against human activity. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161208143334.htm
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November 2016
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