The World

Evolution in Action

Biologists examine the tiny red-shouldered soapberry bug and discover they’ve rapidly adapted to the world around them.

Biologists at American University are tracking evolutionary changes in the red-shouldered soapberry bug. In just 50 years, the bugs’ beaks have become shorter and they are making more babies. As Ari Daniel Shapiro reports, researchers are excited about these rapid adaptations and want to know just which genes make this bug diversity possible.