An intriguing new evolutionary story has just dropped, from my friend and colleague Leif Andersson: a discrete population of large predatory herring in the Baltic Sea, apparently in the process of evolving into a new species. 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41... - ThreadSky

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perahlberg.bsky.social • 149 days ago

An intriguing new evolutionary story has just dropped, from my friend and colleague Leif Andersson: a discrete population of large predatory herring in the Baltic Sea, apparently in the process of evolving into a new species. 🧪
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55216-8

Comments

markusbuehler.bsky.social•147 days ago

That's really fascinating, thanks for sharing! It reminds me on the herring population in the Windebyer Noor near Eckernförde. Originally directly connected to the Baltic Sea, its connection was nearly fully closed except for a very narrow channel in the early 20th century. The herrings there...

markusbuehler.bsky.social•147 days ago

... developed into a dwarf form which grows only to around 15 cm. When I was there years ago I tried to obtain a specimen from a local fisherman, but sadly it wasn't possible.

thebeallcurve.bsky.social•149 days ago

Ocean is warming, more food.
Darwin works in mysterious ways.

voltronicks007.bsky.social•146 days ago

tomospotter.bsky.social•147 days ago

📌

scottwahlstrom.bsky.social•147 days ago

“This niche expansion of herring in the young Baltic Sea, with its paucity of piscivorous species, suggests that empty niche space is more important than geographic isolation for the evolution of biodiversity.”

Nature abhors a vacuum.

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