posted on May, 27 2008 @ 07:23 AM
Evolution as we know is a slow process taking many generations, that's why when we look over millions of years of mammalian evolution we have to look
for the smallest of changes and eventually the adaptations construct an entirely new species, unable to mate with it's early predecessors and wholly
different. However it's not much different to the 2000 or more fossilts that came between it and the original ancestor. Generations in mammals,
reptiles and other trees of evolution can last many years and so evolution is observed slowly.
Creationists however seem to see years and generations as the same thing, they are looking for fast changes in the fossil record, somewhere out there
should be a half fish, half reptile freak in their eyes. It should be therefore explained to each creationist the clear difference bewteen generations
and years. Proof of evolution can be observed far more readily in a species that has many generations over a very short period. Whilst the changes
themselves are individually slow, the generations are here and gone again so quickly and numerously that we can see the start point and the end
product at an increased pace. That's where bacteria come in.
Bacteria have many generations in the space of hours and so are the perfect things to observe when looking for further verification of evolution.
Currently in UK hospitals there are problems with so called "superbugs". MRSA is one of the bigger bugs we're dealing with, whist this little
microbe was once easily annihilated by our most basic of antibiotics, it is now a serious health issue and very hard to treat. Even with a wide
spectrum of antibiotics it can still survive and kill a patient, despite the best efforts of doctors.
It is able to do this because a while ago one of it's ancestors managed to survive, by a random mutation, that allowed it to last longer versus an
antibiotic. The first resistant MRSA microbe probably died, it would have very likely only just lasted a little longer than it's fellows, however it
lasted long enough to divide and pass on this gene that gave it resistance. As more and more generations survived the gene became stronger as the
versions of the bacteria without the gene died fast inside their host.
This continued for a long time as the bacteria was treated with more and more antibiotics in an attempt to stop it. Scientists often say how they have
trouble keeping up with developing new drugs against MRSA. The reason is of course simple, because MRSA can go through thousands of generatins, in a
very short time and so increase it's chances of mutating into a resistant form.
news.bbc.co.uk...
So here we have it, in my eyes and the eyes of scientists a very clear and active evolutionary adaptation. Survival of the fittest at it's best, or
worst if you look at the implications of the bacteria.