January 12, 2009
UVic scientists witness most rapid evolutionary changes ever observed in wild

Forget Darwin's theory of natural selection, two University of Victoria biologists say trophy hunting and commercial fishing are driving the most rapid evolutionary changes ever observed in the wild.

A study published this week in the online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says hunting and fishing strip prime candidates from the breeding cycle.

It says human predation has accelerated the rate of trait changes in prey animals by 300 per cent above the pace within natural systems.

According to the study, animals are now smaller and are breeding younger -- both situations where fewer offspring are produced, further reducing the ability of targeted species to recover from large harvests. (The Canadian Press)