Eden.fm

Source: Dailytech

Very interesting news supporting the evolution theories.

Over 44,000 generations were observed and only minor mutations were observed, as is typical in these kinds of studies. Typical beneficial mutations — larger cell size, faster growth rates, and lower peak population densities — were observed.

Then at generation 31,500 something shocking happened. The bacteria evolved, gaining an entirely new gene that could process citrate, a nutrient that the bacteria could not previously use. To put this in context, lack of citrate metabolism is one of E. coli’s identifying traits. And the newly evolved bacteria proceeded to dominate over their citrate-intolerant kin.