doc writes:
Evolution doesn't have a direction so surely it is possible for it to go backwards?
Only on a very "micro-micro" level is evolution likely to reverse exactly. Here's some research which shows that an apparent reversal, or near reversal, in phenotype may only be a ~50% reversal in genotype. In other words, after a certain point, there's no real going backwards on history at the genetic level even though some individual mutations can be reversed.
The experiment described here is still well within the bounds of what we would describe as micro-evolution.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/...ases/2009/01/090111163023.htm
The paper's here for those with access to Nature Genetics.
Experimental evolution reveals natural selection on standing genetic variation | Nature Genetics
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