Summary:
Scientists and researchers in Spain have been working on zebra fish, they have found out that adding a genetic switch called an enhancer will turn up a gene called Hoxd13 at the tips of developing fins. Adding more Hoxd13 produced limbs that had more cartilage and less fin material on the zebra fish. The researchers reported on Dec. 11, that ancestors of four-legged creatures may have acquired these enhancers, which lead them to limb development.
Relevan
We recently learned how evolution occurs and how it takes generations to do. With modern technology such as the one in article, researchers are now able to speed up the process of it to study. This method can speed up the evolution from sea creatures to four legged animals in just a matter of days or weeks. The article also shows how the process of evolution is just the changing of a gene. Like in the article, the switch from fins to limbs is just a adding more of a gene.
Article Info:
Url: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346972/description/News_in_brief_Fins_to_limbs_with_flip_of_genetic_switch
Author: Tina Hesman Saey
Date of Publication: December 12, 2012
Richard Tang
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