Yeast show possible rapid adaptation to stressful environments

Studies at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have reportrf  that when yeast is placed in a stressful environment that their genomes become less stable. The yeast genomes shows added flexibility involving losing or acquiring  enter chromosomes so as to adapt rapidly

The leader of the study Dr. Rong Li, Ph.D said "Cells employ intricate control mechanisms to maintain genomic stability and prevent abnormal chromosome numbers. We found that under stress cellular mechanisms ensuring chromosome transmission fidelity are relaxed to allow the emergence of progeny cells with diverse aneuploid chromosome numbers, producing a population with large genetic variation."

They exposed yeast to different chemicals intended to produce different types of s tress studied the affect on an artificial chromosome. They found that many stress conditions increased chromosome loss10-20 time than a control rate using a microtubule inhibitor called benomyl. One possible problem with this study is that researchers were using an artificial chromosome for the study, so the cell's natural control mechanisms may not be protecting it as readily as its natural chromosome and in fact may be attacking the artificial chromosome when under stress. This is an interesting study but the use of an artificial chromosome potently throws the results off.

From a creation perspective this in not a problem but something that current creation science models of post Flood adaptation predicts. It shows that the animals that came off of the Ark could have quickly adapted to post Flood environment which would have been stressful.