This is a very interesting little story concerning blind cavefish. They are born with eyes (non-functional), but since their environment is water in a completely dark cave, those eyes are unnecessary and eventually atrophy and become scaled over. Scientists have speculated that different genes are responsible for causing blindness in different cavefish populations. This has been confirmed by the breeding of separate cavefish populations, which, in some instances, results in offspring that can see within the first generation. That is quite interesting research, and shows that indeed, different genes are acting in different populations.

Permanent link to this post (97 words, estimated 23 secs reading time)
Tags: biology, blindness, cavefish, evolution, fish, genes, genetics, research

continue reading.....