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- Rock Pocket Mice: An example of evolutionary adaptation
- In 2003, researchers at the University of Arizona discovered that some of the local desert-roaming rock pocket mice that lived near groups of basaltic rock had darker fur coats than the rest of the mice throughout the desert.
- This darker fur allowed the creatures to stay better hidden from their predators in dark areas, while the mice with the lighter fur were better hidden in the regular desert.
- The mice with the fur coats similar to their environment surviving is an example of natural selection, or survival of the fittest.
- The organisms better suited to their environment are more likely to thrive in it rather than those who are not. But what exactly causes this change in fur color?
- Over time, biologists have accurately discovered the genetics and biochemical processes that determine the fur color of a mammal.
- As for mice, certain genes affect the color of their fur more than others, such as the MC1R gene that affects the black pigmentation of fur, and the Agouti gene, which affects the light yellow and reddish-brown color.
- The group of researchers at Arizona wanted to figure out if there was a connection with these genes and the environment of the mice. When they studied the mice's genes, they found a perfect match between the spelling of their color-determining gene and their fur color. This makes it almost certain that the changes in fur color are caused by the changes in their MC1R gene.
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