The Influence of Light Physics on Evolution of Cichlids Fish in Lake Victoria
How does the physics of light influence the evolution of cichlids fish species in Lake Victoria?
Natural selection in the cichlids fish species of Lake Victoria occurred via, Where's the evolution?
The Influence of Light Physics on Evolution of Cichlids Fish in Lake Victoria
The physics of light has a significant impact on the evolution of cichlids fish species in Lake Victoria. Natural selection favors traits that perform well in local environmental conditions, and the physics of light plays a crucial role in shaping these conditions.
Many fish species have evolved vision that is specifically tuned to see well in the type of light available where they live. The physics of light not only affects how blue water looks to us but also influences how animals living in water bodies such as oceans, lakes, and rivers find food and mates.
In the case of cichlids fish species in Lake Victoria, the light penetrating to different depths of the lake has played a significant role in their evolution. Biologists have demonstrated that the unique light conditions in Lake Victoria have promoted a massive evolutionary radiation, leading to the emergence of more than 500 species of often brightly colored cichlid fish in just a few hundred thousand years.