Evolutionary Harmony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species evolution

Through survival of the fit

Was first proposed by Darwin

But such thoughts have changed a bit   

Individual adaptation

Is just one part of it

There is also exaptation

And inter-species fit  

Genetics is quite complex

With genes the building blocks

That may dominate or recess

And at times switch on and off

Darwin’s “On the origin of species by means of natural selection” is a remarkable work made even more so by its publication before the discovery of genetics.  Whilst the basic theory has stood the test of time it should be viewed as a foundation work for evolutionary studies and not as a “holy book” for evolutionary biologists.  Its main potential issue is that it presents a depressingly bleak view of a dog eat dog world similar to Tennyson's “nature red in tooth and claw”.  The deeply compassionate and gentle Darwin would have been horrified to see his theory used to justify the extremist views of white supremacists including the Nazi’s. The strong shall prevail!  In practice “survival of the fittest” means much more than being the best competitor. Species can and do support each other and whilst every species must eat there is also great harmony and interdependence in the web of life.  The struggle to survive is always there but the day to day lives of most species are happy and contented. At its extreme you end up with an interdependent living planet or Gaia as presented so brilliantly by Tim Flannery in his book , “Country”.

I like the concept of exaptation where a particular advantageous trait becomes a foundation for further adaptations such as birds first developing feathers to keep them warm and then finding they are useful for flight. This solves many directional evolution puzzles.

Perhaps the most fascinating concept of all is that of co-evolution.  There are many examples of birds and insect pollinators co-adapted with specific flowers but it can be more subtle that. My all time favourite book is David Paxton's “Why it’s OK to talk to your dog”. It presents a compelling case on the co-evolution of dogs and people which ultimately gave humans the edge over our Neandertal competitors. Modern man in partnership with the dog could afford to forgo an acute sense of smell and hearing in return for greater thought and speech capacity.