BOSTON, MA (February 23, 2009) – Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution are getting a lot of attention this month, the 200th anniversary of his birth. Much has happened over those two centuries.
Evolution still brings to mind the kind of change that happens over millions of years, such as humans evolving from forerunners of apes. But there is increasing evidence that species can evolve quite quickly, within our lifetimes, and that human intervention in the natural world is speeding up that process.
Take, for example, the cod fish, a New England icon.
Cod, once plentiful in the region’s waters, are increasingly rare because of overfishing. But perhaps more important is the fact that large cod are especially rare. The reason: Decades of intense fishing for the largest cod have meant the species has evolved along the lines of the survivors, which is to say, smaller cod.
Read The Boston Globe story in full