one can only look at the remains found today and speculate the course of evolution of plants and animals.. looking at fossils, studying the variations in the patterns and structures of organisms of then and now, and extrapolating them to draw a sortof clear picture of the transition of the same.. with us, well we now know that we were all chimps in the beginning frolicking on the branches of kenyan forests.. we were happy n we knew it.
n then, we spread out, evolving along the way.. we had opposable thumbs, and made use of that.. slowly, the evolution became apparent, with the speech development and communications... we became smart, talented, resourceful... that was then... now, if u threw in elements of modernization and the aftereffects of the applications of our ingenuity, we've not evolved.. in fact, we ceased to evolve a long time ago.. approximately a century ago.
we became so caught up in the discovery of technology and inventions following the use of that technology... that we've forgotten our role as elements within a framework.. we've assumed now that we ARE the framework around which earth functions.. nature is going to catch up with us, n when that happens (the process has begun with global warming), we'l retreat into our primate habitats, rediscover the swinging along the tree branches trait and lose ourselves into this devolution, degeneration we cornered ourselves into.
its a shame since the current crop of human existance is right on the cusp of this situation.. with 1 leg in post-modernization and the other leg planted deep into future crises development and subsequent consequences, we're the unfortunate sons of yesterday's fathers who created doom, which we inherited and like obedient sons carried it forward...
yes.. we have forgotten the essence of life to a greta extent.. veyr nicely writtten as usual :)
ReplyDeleteuhh ohh...why dont u run 4 d senate...u just got ur issue...
ReplyDeletesure anje.. why dont u be my running mate? u can brandish ur tentacles toward the temples of all the nonbelievers.. and "convert" them so they become our followers eh? :P
ReplyDeletedamn right you are. the problem started when we thought ourselves so evolved that we took it upon ourselves to evolve everything else.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is a good issue to ponder over. But, first of all, I don't buy the point that we evolved from monkeys. How can nature be so partial to let a few of the species evolve and let that others be! Secondly, evolution is a continuous process. It can probably only progress, so don't mind, but I think there is no point of devolution. Well, if one wants to compare and put forward theories, how about this one.
ReplyDeleteTake the era of dinasaurs. There was ample of resourses for these species to rule the planet earth. But, as gradually the resourses started getting exhausted (I guess, at a very high rate), nature ruled the non-exsistance of this species. Gone were all the huge animals to make way for species that could survive on the planet with the available resourses (comparatively smaller).
Now for evolution to progress, nature decides what's the best available option. I am sure if morphological changes would have been the only criterion, we would have hoped to see alien species as a next generation. But no, that has not been the case. On the other hand, probably it occurs at another level. For example, our ancestors probably had an average age span of more than 100 years. Today, our age span is about 60 years. Probably as evolution progresses, this numbers goes down still to ensure that the resourses don't get exhausted.
It is good that today, we have started feeling concerned for the depleting resourses and taking steps to maintain whatever remains for the next generation. This I think is important. Or else, nature might rule out that human race is not suitable for existance and make way for some other smaller creatures! Evolution still...
So, all in all, evolution would just progress and I doubt why there would be a devolution.
well, its good to c some optimism regarding the past n the future.. however, all things considered, we've evolved from chimps, (primates to be specific) and this isnt a pro-darwinian tirade of mine, its jus me putting 2 n 2 together.. .cant u c the similarity?? mother earth's resources were there for the taking, n we grabbed it with both hands!!... n with the dinosaurs, didnt a gargantuan asteroid or sumthin like that wipe their existence off the planet?!.. ok, who're u btw?? hehe
ReplyDeleteWell, now you know who I am :-). But I still don't agree that we eveloved from primates. Each species is dinstinct and if, going by the assumed theories, there was a primordial soup that led to the creation of life, then I guess, all of the species evoloved from a common ancestor. Probably distinct mutations in the primary creature led to the development of each distinct species. Although, I don't even agree with the primordial soup theory (hehehe, hard to convince!)
ReplyDeleteAbout the dinosaurs, as far as I know there was no asteriod or anything, cause it was not like dinosaurs belonged to only a particular region on earth, I guess. All living creatures were given an envirnment to survive. Those who adapted, lived and those that didn't, got extinct. I just explained it in a different manner earlier.
Now, I am sure humans can adapt to all kinds of environments, so no point in bringing about a change in envt. now (although it is happening as well). So my alternative theory (hehe)!
well... hmm, ppl seem to have made 'serious' comments n all... but the pdfs have left me in an intellectually dormant state.. all i could think of as i read it was the ad with the "evolving man" and his "daddu"..
ReplyDelete(geetha)
d ony way man can is evolve now is by pushing himself to thnk as to how cn he live a better life...!! n all d evolution dt has occured so far has been 4 d same purpose and man continues to do so.technological developments r a part of the same.a flip side of dis is offcourse that it has led to global warming n all other ecological problems.i agree to dat.
ReplyDelete