Since the X was equipped with a generative AI, I asked it a few questions, which was interesting.
Question
Have there been any successful examples of generational change in vertebrates in experiments in a completely sealed ecosystem?
There haven't been widely recognized or extensively documented examples of generational change in vertebrates within completely sealed ecosystems, especially in terms of evolutionary or significant biological changes over generations. However, let's explore related concepts and experiments:
- **Sealed Ecosystems**: Experiments like Biosphere 2 have been conducted to understand how ecosystems function in isolation, but these typically focus on maintaining life support systems rather than evolutionary changes in vertebrates. Biosphere 2 included vertebrates like fish, but the focus was more on ecological balance and human habitation rather than evolutionary biology.
- **Laboratory Studies**: While not in completely sealed ecosystems, there are numerous studies on vertebrates in controlled environments:
- **Evolution in Action**: Studies on small vertebrates like fish or amphibians often look at rapid evolution in response to environmental pressures, but these are usually in open systems or semi-controlled environments where air, water, or nutrients might still be exchanged with the outside.
- **Genetic Changes**: For instance, experiments with guppies in different predation environments have shown rapid evolution in traits like color and reproductive behavior over generations, but these environments are not "sealed" in the strictest sense.
- **Theoretical and Simulation Studies**: Some research uses models to predict how vertebrates might evolve in sealed or isolated environments, focusing on genetic drift, natural selection, and adaptation. However, these are theoretical and not directly from sealed ecosystem experiments.
- **X Posts Insight**: From the X posts, there's mention of various evolutionary phenomena but not directly related to sealed ecosystems:
- **Convergent Evolution** (like bats and dolphins) shows how different species can evolve similar traits independently, but this isn't from a sealed ecosystem experiment.
- **Longevity and Reproduction** changes in island mammals or shifts from egg-laying to live birth in Littorina suggest evolutionary changes, but these are natural or semi-controlled studies, not in sealed systems.
Given this:
- **Direct Evidence**: There's no direct, widely accepted evidence from X posts or scientific literature provided here of vertebrates undergoing generational change in a completely sealed ecosystem.
- **Why Not?**: Sealed ecosystems for vertebrates are challenging due to the complexity of their needs (space, food, waste management, air quality, etc.), and ethical considerations limit long-term studies where significant evolutionary changes might be observed.
- **Future Possibility**: With advancements in technology and perhaps in space exploration, where sealed ecosystems might be necessary for life support, we might see more focused studies on this topic. However, current experiments tend to focus on immediate survival and ecological balance rather than evolutionary biology in such settings.
In summary, while there's interest and some theoretical work on how vertebrates might evolve in isolated or controlled environments, there's no widely recognized example from completely sealed ecosystems as of the last update.
It seems that I am conducting research that has few rivals.
On a different note, I have just made my YouTube debut. Although my videos are only in Japanese, I would like to add English subtitles in the future.
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