Question

(iii) Anthropogenic action can enhance the rate of evolution. Explain with the help of an example.

Hint:

Anthropogenic factors, such as industrial pollution and excessive use of antibiotics, accelerate evolutionary changes.

Answer 1

Human activities create strong selective pressures that accelerate evolution. Examples include: \begin{itemize} \item Antibiotic Resistance: Overuse of antibiotics leads to the survival and reproduction of resistant bacterial strains, making infections harder to treat. \item Pesticide Resistance: Pests evolve resistance to pesticides, reducing their effectiveness over time. \item Industrial Melanism: Pollution caused by industrialization favored darker phenotypes in species like the peppered moth. \item Climate Change: Rapid environmental shifts force species to adapt quickly, leading to observable evolutionary changes. \end{itemize} These examples demonstrate how anthropogenic actions influence evolution, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices to reduce their impact on biodiversity. % Quick tip