Patterns of Evolution

Patterns of Evolution

I do not think that these days humans are subject to the same amount of pressure by natural selection that other organisms are. Because of all the advances in medicine and technology by our species, these days if a baby is born early or with deficiencies, they can still grow to adulthood with a greater survival rate than they would have hundreds of years ago. I think that this is one of the barriers that separates humans from any other organism on earth. Of course, that does not mean that humans are not still evolving-- we are forever adapting and becoming more intelligent in order to continue living.
An example of convergent evolution would be wings—like on bats or birds. The ancestors of these animals did not have wings, but they developed them in order to help them to survive. The wings on all animals were formed from previous appendages (arms and legs) to enable the animal to hunt for food more easily and to escape predators. Humans are a great example of divergent evolution. It is widely known how closely we are related to monkeys, but our feet our shaped completely differently from that of our primate cousins. Scientists believe that it is because once there was so much evolution in the “new monkey” species that there was no need to swing in trees and changes had to be made to the feet to allow for better balance and speed. The Dingo is a great example of adaptive radiation. The dingo originated in Vietnam, but now they are exclusive to Australia. They have changed to adapt to their new eco systems and climates and have since flourished. The swollen thorn acacia and its inhabitant, the ant is an example of co evolution. This plant has adapted its thorns (which are now hollow and secret nectar) to attract the ants to live inside its thorns. This not only gives the ant shelter and a food supply, but it provides protection for the plant from various predators.
Scientists and tech-intelligent people have always believed that humans will someday habitat...

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