While evolution has typically been a more gradual process, in recent years a rapidly-changing environment has led to accelerated evolution. Here are some interesting examples of this modern evolution.

1. Rapid Evolution
By Anton Lennikov

2. Evolution
has typically
been pretty
slow

3. Yet it’s recently been
speeding up

4. How come?
Rapid
environmental
changes have
forced animals
to evolve much
faster than
before

5. Modern
examples:

6. London
mosquitoes
• Mosquitoes moved into the London
Underground tunnels when they were first
being built some 150 years ago !
• They’ve now evolved to the extent that they
can’t interbreed with mosquitoes living
above-ground

7. Italian wall
lizards
• 10 lizards were
introduced to the
Croatian island Pod
Mrcaru in 1971!
• They developed
better bite strength,
a larger head and a
whole new digestive
tract

8. Whales in
Antarctica
• Blue and pygmy whales
are joining together to
form a hybrid species!
• Possibly due to climate
change

9. African
elephants
• Elephants
are being
hunted by
poachers for
their tusks!
• Elephants
with a rare
genetic
mutation
that causes
them to be
tusk-less are
able to thrive