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January 31, 2012

Mouse to Elephant? Just Wait 24 Million Generations

Monash Univ., Monash University


AP Photo

Scientists have for the first time measured how fast large-scale evolution can occur in mammals, showing it takes 24 million generations for a mouse-sized animal to evolve to the size of an elephant.

Research published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS) describes increases and decreases in mammal size following the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

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TAGGED: evolution

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