At 08:11 PM 2/20/02 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 20/02/02 05:01:30 GMT Standard Time, Peter Borst writes:
>
><< And don't forget, the little mites are evolving faster than the bees, >>
>Peter, why do you say this?  Are there figures or references to which you can
>direct us?

Simply compare the length of a generation of each species and the existing
number of variations in the current gene pool of each species.  In a given
hive bees
have 1 to a dozen  or so different sets of genes (depending on how many
males the
queen mated from) and the length of the generation before a new set of genes is
created is 1 to 2 years.  With mites you can easily have several hundred
different sets
and the generation is 1-2 months.

This does not necessarily mean they are evolving faster (the process could
stagnate
due to lack of an outside influence, weather, food, chemicals etc.),  but
does mean they have
more chances to evolve in the same amount of time.  Greater diversity in
the gene
pool, and short generation times are key to faster changes/evolution.  This
is the
reason bacteria can be so quick to evolve and adapt to condition with
generations
that can be short as minutes and huge numbers of individuals.

-Tim