Evolution In The Natural World – The Aspects And Parameters That Define It

Evolution is a concept that is as old as life on this planet. From day one of the creatures on this bizarre planet, evolution has accompanied their existence until it finally came to us. Earth is 4 billion years old. The human race is estimated to have been at most 10 thousand years here. Still, our impact on nature and other species has been significantly leading to extreme conditions of diversity, with species extinct and others being created. Let us look at evolution in all aspects and reveal its strange mechanisms of affecting us.

To start with, the trouble we have caused to viruses and bacteria with all the drugs that we have developed to defeat them has only led them to become stronger and has put both parties in a fight that seems to be endless since microorganisms have unique ways to evolve and adjust their DNA to attack us and finally survive. We see that while our nature may threaten many mammals, trees, and other forms of life, including ourselves, it also protects other species. We teach bacteria how to become stronger in our attempt to beat them. As they say, ”Whatever does not kill you, only makes you stronger.” We provide challenges, and the invisible microorganisms that we host on our bodies get over them.

A similar phenomenon is observed in the population of insects. The cockroaches, for instance, have evolved a great deal since we started to fight them. The chemicals we used to exterminate them managed to kill a large number of them. Still, the ones that survived figured out the mechanism they should develop to survive and protect the next generations from similar attempts. Evolution is a two-way road. We improve science, and nature improves itself.

However, a similar phenomenon is not repeated in the population of mammals or other animals that have a hard time surviving in the hostile environment we have created for them, with trees being cut more and more every year. It seems that the upper an animal is on the chain of evolution, the harder it is for them to survive. Their condition is more unstable, and their appearance on Earth results from complex and often accidental procedures that took place on time. The fact that their overall structure is more complicated comes with a series of issues. One of them is that for them to survive, the conditions that existed when they were created should not dramatically change; otherwise, they will not be able to retain their life. In other words, they cannot adjust that easily.

But what is it that makes their adjustment so hard? Two parameters are responsible for that. The first one has to do with the rhythm of reproduction. Insects, viruses, and small forms of life reproduce extremely often. This means they have plenty of time to process the information they receive from the environment and form a quick answer about how to respond to external threats. DNA will change faster than we assumed, and scientists will find it challenging to create a new drug or chemical to eliminate them. To put it simply, they change faster than the external conditions change. The result is that they can adjust on time before extinction knocks on their door.

The other parameter is related to their massive population. Insects are countless. This means that no matter how much damage we will do to a part of their population, there will still be others that will survive to make the proper adjustments to their DNA soon enough before the entire population is destroyed. The number of their population is strictly related to their short circle of living. Microorganisms and insects die fast, so new ”babies” must come to life before disappearing. To reassure that they will live, they have to be many. Besides, their simple structure allows them to repeat the whole process of birth, reproduction, and death as quickly as they want. On the contrary, mammals will have to take into the trouble of creating complicated mechanisms that will take time and will not allow them to be reproduced in large numbers.

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