BGR - We know that the world and its various inhabitants, from plants to animals, are still evolving. In fact, some even believe that humans are actively evolving in different parts of the world right now. But a group of plants found in the Galápagos archipelago might be doing the opposite and de-evolving. Researchers argue that despite how controversial it might sound, tomatoes in the Galápagos actually seem to be going backwards, not forwards.
A controversial idea come to life
De-evolution, or reverse evolution, is a bit of a controversy among evolutionists, and for good reason. Evolution isn’t really meant to have a rewind button. Some organisms might re-acquire old traits that were once lost, but they usually do so through new genetic pathways. But these tomato plants appear to be doing something unexpected.
“It’s not something we usually expect,” Adam Jozwiak, a molecular biochemist at UC Riverside and lead author of the study, shared in a statement. “But here it is, happening in real time, on a volcanic island.”