Evolution in the Anthropocene

By Collin Davis

In the lesson below, evolution in the Anthropocene is examined through the lens of a notable case study that has taken place in the Hudson River of New York/New Jersey, USA. Here, the native population of Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) has evolved over a span of roughly 50 generations, an unprecedented resistance to toxic Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that had been introduced into the river by human industry.¹⁴ The evolutionary pathway that this specific population has undergone in such a relatively short amount of time is extremely unique, and nothing quite like it has been discovered anywhere else on planet Earth. During the lesson, students will examine organismal evolution in the Anthropocene Epoch through this unique example to better understand the accelerated trajectory of evolution and life on our planet during the age of the Anthropocene.