Evolution is real. It has been proven unequivocally through both paleontologic and genetic evidences. However, it will be good to keep in mind that the theory of evolution does not explain (or make any effort to explain) the origin of life on earth. In simple terms, the theory proposes that any individual with an advantage for survival will outnumber its competitors in long run. All the living beings that we can find around us has some smart features built in them that help in their survival in the environment they belongs to. We all survive here just because of the fact that the environment is congenial for our survival. Any minute change in this complex system can make us unfit here. A few inches rise in sea water level, a single nucleotide change in a virus, a wandering meteor or even the flapping wing of a butterfly, we could be wiped out !!!
It has been going on through billions of years. Billions of years !!! I know how BIG 70 years is !!! Its my life time. I hardly remember anything that happened thirty years ago, because its looong time back for me !!! 5000 years back is almost prehistoric time for me. These millions and billions beats me altogether.
Only one thing I know, it has been quite a long time since it all began. That spark, let me call it life, might have started in a flash of a second. Since then it has been here, taking various forms in various era of time. Painstakingly, but successfully, overcoming many challen
ges that were posed upon it by mother nature. There are atleast five well established instances of mass extinctions of species, due to various speculative reasons. Varying environments, multiples selections pressures.... sometimes it was survival in CO2 that acted as the measure stick of success, some time cold climate, some other time hydrogen sulfide, heat and most recently oxygne. Yes, now it is our time (at least on the surface of earth) "the era of aerobes" who can use oxygen for making energy.
ges that were posed upon it by mother nature. There are atleast five well established instances of mass extinctions of species, due to various speculative reasons. Varying environments, multiples selections pressures.... sometimes it was survival in CO2 that acted as the measure stick of success, some time cold climate, some other time hydrogen sulfide, heat and most recently oxygne. Yes, now it is our time (at least on the surface of earth) "the era of aerobes" who can use oxygen for making energy.The Winners ... for how long ? So far there have been many winners, and probably equal number of losers too. Most of the victories were transient. I can well imagine the life of a once 'invincible' T.rex, they are all deep burried as fossils now.
Everything is uncertain my friend..
How long will this drama go on ? Who will be the winners during the next mass extinction (certainly there will be one atleast. Can't you hear the ticking sound from Sun ??). If it does not happen for a next couple of centuries humans have a fair chance, I persume. We need time to develop technologies to face the oncoming challenge.
What is the future of human evolution? I have heard many people saying that Homo sapiens is the pinnacle of evolution. But I dont think so. We humans are very complex biological entities, but so is a dog or mouse or amoeba !!!. If someone says that evolution ends in humans, that would be a denial of the theory of evolution. Of course evolution can be challenged, but with ample scientific evidence only. An inability to observe a phenomenon is not an argument for its absence (BTW, there are evidence of ongoing evolution in human genome, Ref article by Dr. Peter Ward, Scientific American, January, 2009).
The success of human race depends on one special organ in our body. The most enigmatic machine in our body. The one which make us what we are. The organ which helped Darwin to make notes on the variation of beaks of finches, helped him to associate the proofs from nature and come up with "tree of life". The brain !!
I have a strong feeling that the future evolution is going to be mostly cerebral. We know the past. We also know that history repeats itself. So the only logical thing we can do to propagate the human gene pool is to prepare for the next mass extinction. Make brain as the positive trait for selection. Expand our horizon. Move out of earth.... Move out of solar system.... Defeat the light and time ..... Explore the space, distant stars and galaxies......
I envision a cerebral and technological evolution and that is going to be the future of Darwinian evolution, our only hope for survival.
Thank you Charlie for laying the foundation, hope we can build a bright future for every living beings on your legacy.
Images of meteor: www.rense.com/general42/ukteen.htm
Time scale: www.wikepedia.com
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