Mutations are sudden changes in the hereditary characteristics.
An example of a mutation is albinism. An albino has no pigment
and is thus white. Albino forms are found in a great multitude of plants
and animals. There are also human albinos.
On the photo is a jackdaw being partially albino. Such forms occur rather
often in small, isolated populations. They are a consequence of inbreeding.
In most cases albinism has only disadvantages for an animal and that's why
generally the trait disappears quickly. But there can be an advantage for
animals living in caves, because they save energy in not forming pigment.
Moreover, the white colour is not a disadvantage in a dark cave.
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Albino
animals and birds |
This is an albino of an axolotl, a salamander-like animal,
living in Mexico. The axolotl is in fact a salamander which reproduces itself
already as a larva. Probably some time a mutation has occurred causing this
trait. As a consequence the animal has never reached the full-grown state
of a salamander. In the laboratory it is still possible to 'breed' one. Owing
to this mutation all of a sudden a new species has come into existence.
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Axolotls |
