The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection and Adaptation (2011)

The rock pocket mouse is a living example of Darwin's process of natural selection. Evolution is happening right now everywhere around us, and adaptive changes can occur in a population with remarkable speed. This is essential if you're a mouse living in an environment where a volcanic eruption can reverse selective pressure in nearly an instant. The film features Dr. Michael Nachman, whose work on pocket mice reveals a complete story, from ecosystem to molecules, that demonstrates how random changes in the genome can take many paths to the same adaptation-a colored coat that hides them from predators.

Released Oct. 12, 2011 11 min None+

Genres: Documentary, Short

Keywords: mdblist.one-actor, tmdb.desert, tmdb.natural-selection, tmdb.mice, tmdb.animal-evolution, mdblist.imdb-short, aspectratio.1-78-1

Production Companies: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pixeldust Studios

Country: United States
Production Country: United States
Languages: English