Where do we come from? [split from member's photos thread]
- Thread starter Poetic Justice
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It isn't survuval of the fittest. That phrase shouldn't really be used anymore
It is survival of the most suited to their environment. Because of our intelligence, adaptability and tool/clothes making skills we survived.
Having some feature that could be better doesn't mean we didn't evolve. Our features don't have to be the best. They just have to be good enough for us to survive and pass on our genes. Maybe our large brains and therefore large heads are useful enough to offset the minor disadvantage of painful child birth
We also stood up. This was a major factor in child birth. The fact that we stood up on two legs changed everything. We could no longer walk on all fours so couldn't carry babies as long. We started having to give birth before the baby was even remotely self sufficient. When human babies are born they are completely helpless. This could be seen as a disadvantage but the ability to walk on two legs is a significant advantage (it frees up our hands) therefore cancelling out the early childbirth
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I'd also like to add that because our intelligence we've been able to best natural selection and haven't needed to evolve. So you won't see any signs of us evolving in the last 5000 years, and probably not even since we started using tools.
I have a theory that this isn't quite correct. It's only a theory but it is something I have been thinking about for a while now
What if because of our ability to help people survive who normally wouldn't and pass on their gens we are actually evolving more than usual?
Before only certain types would survive and prosper. The strong, fast and clever ones. they were the only ones passing on their genes. Now almost every type of person survives. therefore there are more different types of people passing on their genes. This could lead to more variety than usual. not less. The line between types would be smeared of course as people with different traits inter breed but the extremes could be more exagerrated.
And now because of the internet (and dating sites) even more types of people are able to find suitable partners and pass on their genes
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That's the thing, everyone survives. Evolution only occurs when a trait gets preffered over another. We get mixture and variety, but not evolution.
You dont stop evolution, its still going on, even if it isnt by nature, we are self selecting, and our technology is evolving in place of our bodies faster. Why spend a million years evolving brains that can communicate telepathically when we can just use language, telephones and the internet.
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Technological advancement is not evolution. You've just proved my point.
Evolution does stop and start when needed. Darwin wasn't completely right when he stated it happens gradually over a long period of time. We've found out now that it occurs when the enviroment changes and a new trait gets preffered. If the change in the enviroment is drastic it can happen in under 100 generations.
The only way we'd evolve is if our enviroment changes so much our technology can't make up for it and we start dying out.
Evolving into a much more varied species is technically still evolution
I also wonder how much information is passed on through genes generation to generation. Many animals are born with instinctive fears. Some animals are born with the fear of the sillhouette of birds of prey but not other birds.
This fact alone prove that evolution is not just about natural selection. Information is passed on. If none of the animals ancestors had needed this fear of predators then it wouldn't have inherited it.
How much of an effect this has, I have no idea
Maybe we will adapt to our technology using this method or maybe it doesn't work like that.
*shrugs*
I also wonder how much information is passed on through genes generation to generation. Many animals are born with instinctive fears. Some animals are born with the fear of the sillhouette of birds of prey but not other birds.
This fact alone prove that evolution is not just about natural selection. Information is passed on. If none of the animals ancestors had needed this fear of predators then it wouldn't have inherited it.
How much of an effect this has, I have no idea
Maybe we will adapt to our technology using this method or maybe it doesn't work like that.
*shrugs*
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There is a theory that memory gets passed on through DNA. One that as crazy as it sounds, I subscribe to. It's the only explaination of instinct that I can find, and we're no exception to it. Babies start trying to talk at a very early age, even if they can't understand language, they seem to know that the ability to talk is needed.
It seems to make sense and I can't think of any reason why it can't happen. Really it's an obvious "skill" for evolution to employ. We are clearly born with pre programmed.... erm... programmes. whether this is due to the only ones that pass this info on being the ones that survive or due to genetic memory I have no idea.
Maybe this is how animals adapt so quickly when there environment changes. It doesn't seem to make sense that if it suddenly becomes cold animals develop warm coats. I don't see how this can happen using natural selection alone. Surely this would take thousands if not millions of years.
But if for a few generations a species is uncomfortably cold, maybe this information is passed on and it adjusts each generation to compensate. The experiences of a generation cause slight adjustments to the code in their egg/semen or whatever directly changing their offspring
The survivors aren't the ones who already have whats needed. The survivors are the ones which adapt quick enough.
Maybe
Edit: Or as with most complicated things, is it a combination of effects. Natural selection and genetic memory working together?
Maybe this is how animals adapt so quickly when there environment changes. It doesn't seem to make sense that if it suddenly becomes cold animals develop warm coats. I don't see how this can happen using natural selection alone. Surely this would take thousands if not millions of years.
But if for a few generations a species is uncomfortably cold, maybe this information is passed on and it adjusts each generation to compensate. The experiences of a generation cause slight adjustments to the code in their egg/semen or whatever directly changing their offspring
The survivors aren't the ones who already have whats needed. The survivors are the ones which adapt quick enough.
Maybe
Edit: Or as with most complicated things, is it a combination of effects. Natural selection and genetic memory working together?
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Tell that to dog breeders. Did you know some elephants are being born with no tusks because ivory hunters kill the elephants with the biggest tusks? Evolution really doesn't take long to occur, but it needs an event to trigger it. In recent history we've been that recent event.
Of course it is, it's by no means a simple subject.
I actually heard someone say about the elephants on QI. If i remember correctly he admitted to making it up. I was going to pull you up on it but then I thought I best check first.
I googled it and it's true!
Evolution in effect
I googled it and it's true!
Evolution in effect