Microevolution - extrapolating to Macro

[synthesizer-patel]

Evolution in Action-Peacock-Feather Like Supraocular Tentacles of the Lionfish, Pterois volitans – the Distribution of a New Signal
Author: Fishelson, Lev1

Source: Environmental Biology of Fishes, Volume 75, Number 3, March 2006 , pp. 343-348(6)

Abstract:

Observations on populations of the lionfish, Pterois volitans (Scorpaenidae), in the Red Sea revealed that during the last four decades a novel phenotype of this species has started to evolve, which instead of the typical ray-like supraocular tentacles bears a pair of feather-like tentacles, one or both of which bear a sharply defined eye-mark, previously noted in this fish in the eastern Indian ocean. During the ongoing studies of the last 25 years it has become clear that this ornamentation, possibly first observed in the Red Sea at the southern tip of Sinai, had gradually extended both westward to the Egyptian shores, and eastward, along the 180 km of the Gulf of Aqaba. In the last decade such ornamented specimens have begun to appear and multiply at the northern tip of the Gulf, within the large population of `regular' lionfish bearing ray-like tentacles. The evolutionary basis for this development, and the possible usefulness of this novel signal are discussed.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/ebfi/2006/00000075/00000003/00000027;jsessionid=yoqu0aslb713.alice?format=print

so basically these:
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/images/thumbimg/400/5330_1.JPG

are being replaced by these:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Pterois_volitans_Manado-e.jpg/800px-Pterois_volitans_Manado-e.jpg

Now clearly this is evolution within the species and its a relatively insignificant change - however - extrapolate individual events like this this over a geolocial timescale and it's pretty easy to see how something like this:

http://www.ryanphotographic.com/images/JPEGS/Eptatretis%20cirrhatus%20New%20Zealand%20hagfish.jpg

could become something like this:

http://www.divegallery.com/Leafy_Sea_Dragon__1.jpg

No doubt I'm mostly preaching to the choir here, but I still thought it made quite a nice real-time illustration of micro evolution, and how it leads to speciation.