Humans are powerful agents of evolutionary change: Wild animals and plants that are hunted or harvested evolve three times as quickly as they would naturally, according to a study from the University of California at Santa Cruz. In our quest to bag the biggest and the best, we introduce selective pressures that favor less desirable creatures, such as those with smaller bodies or less majestic horns. Hunting also gives a competitive advantage to animals that have babies when they are younger, before they become tempting targets for humans.
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